Parliamentary Affairs (vol 73, issue 1, 2020)

Journal

Parliamentary Affairs (vol 73, issue 1, 2020)

9 Jan 2020

Articles in this latest edition cover topics as diverse as political finance regulation, devolution, young people and the EU referendum, candidate campaigning in general elections, the policisation of abortion and the electoral success of women candidates, as well as reflections on the Turkish, Australian, Irish and EU Parliaments.

Articles

Articles available to read for free are marked with a star (☆).

EDITOR'S CHOICE: ☆ ‘Taking Back Control’, the UK’s Constitutional Narrative and Schrodinger’s Devolution ☆ -- Mark Sandford and Cathy Gormley-Heenan
The Impact of Political Finance Regulation on Party Organisation -- Anika Gauja, Stephen Mills, Narelle Miragliotta, Joo-Cheong Tham, Zim Nwokora, Malcolm Anderson
Electoral Accountability, Responsibility Attributions, and the Democratic Deficit in Devolved Wales -- Einion Dafydd and Sanja Badanjak
Resources, Values, Identity: Young Cosmopolitans and the Referendum on British Membership of the European Union -- Rakib Ehsan and James Sloam
Elite-Citizen Linkages and Issue Congruency under Competitive Authoritarianism -- Marwa Shalaby and Abdullah Aydogan
Minority Party Government and Independent MPs: A Comparative Analysis of Australia and Ireland -- Glenn Kefford and Liam Weeks
Conceived in Harlesden: Candidate-Centred Campaigning in British General Elections -- Caitlin Milazzo and Joshua Townsley
Understanding Legislative Speech in the Turkish Parliament: Reconsidering the Electoral Connection under Proportional Representation -- Alper T Bulut and Emel İlter
Competing Principals and Non-Vote Decisions in the European Parliament -- Nuria Font
Falling on Deaf Ears? Exploring the Effects of Newspaper Coverage of the European Parliament on Public Support for it -- Olga Eisele
The Politicisation of Abortion, Voters’ Stereotypes and the Electoral Success of Women Candidates -- Agnes Blome, Anouk Lloren and Jan Rosset

Latest / Highlights

News / Growing the Greens: Ellie Chowns MP on Parliament, polling and Zack Polanski - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 124

What is it like to be part of a small but growing parliamentary party? We talk with the leader of the Green Party group at Westminster, Ellie Chowns, about the challenges of operating with limited numbers, the practical realities of parliamentary life, and how institutional structures shape the influence of smaller parties. We discuss our political culture, the Greens’ approach to leadership, internal decision-making, and the party’s longer-term ambitions for electoral and parliamentary reform and a more representative system.

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 12-16 January 2026

The result of the election for the next Lord Speaker will be announced. In the Commons, Government amendments addressing the “family farm tax” will be considered during Committee Stage of the Finance (No. 2) Bill. The Hillsborough Law is expected to complete its remaining stages in the Commons, and the Sentencing and the Diego Garcia Bills the same in the Lords. Peers will consider the assisted dying bill for a sixth day in Committee. MPs will debate an e-petition calling for a new general election, new towns, financial support during the pandemic, and the importance of the Arctic and High North. Select Committees will hear evidence from former OBR chair Richard Hughes on the UK’s fiscal framework, two Cabinet Ministers on AI and copyright, and the Housing and Courts Ministers on their responsibilities.

News / Are UK elections under threat? A conversation with the chair of the Electoral Commission, John Pullinger - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 123

With the Government investigating allegations of foreign influence in British politics, we are joined by John Pullinger, Chair of the Electoral Commission, to take stock of the health and resilience of the UK’s electoral system. Our discussion ranges widely over the pressures facing elections and campaigning today, and what issues Parliament may need to grapple with in a future elections bill.

News / Is being Prime Minister an impossible job? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 121

Why do UK Prime Ministers seem to burn out so quickly? We are joined by historian Robert Saunders to examine why the role has become so punishing in recent years. From Brexit and COVID to fractured parties, rigid governing conventions and relentless media scrutiny, the discussion explores what has gone wrong – and what kind of leadership and political culture might be needed to make the job survivable again.

News / The King and Parliament: The relationship between politics and the royals - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 122

In this episode we are joined by author and former royal correspondent Valentine Low to explore the evolving relationship between Downing Street and the Palace and why it matters for Parliament. Drawing on his book Power and the Palace, we explore how royal influence has shifted from Queen Victoria’s overt political interventions to Elizabeth II’s studied neutrality. Along the way, we connect historical episodes – where monarchs helped shape diplomacy and constitutional outcomes – to today’s flashpoints, from the prorogation and dissolution of Parliament to referendums and royal finances and the looming constitutional headaches of future hung parliaments.