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 / Starmer, Iran, and Parliament’s role in war powers - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 134

What role does Parliament play when the UK is involved in military action? In this week’s episode, we explore the evolving practice of parliamentary war powers, sparked by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s response to recent developments in Iran and the Middle East. We discuss the royal prerogative, the uncertain post-Iraq convention on war powers, and proposals to codify Parliament’s role. Plus, we discuss the return of the Hereditary Peers Bill, proposals to increase MPs’ pay, scrutiny of defence spending, and the Spring Statement and wider economic outlook. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

Submissions / Written Parliamentary Questions - Our evidence to the House of Commons Procedure Committee

The use of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) is rising sharply. Since July 2024, MPs have tabled questions at unprecedented levels. By late 2025 MPs were tabling over 600 per sitting day, more than double the long-term average. WPQs are a cornerstone of parliamentary scrutiny, helping MPs obtain information, challenge government policy and put issues on the public record. But this surge raises important questions about how Parliament balances transparency and accountability with the practical limits of the system. The House of Commons Procedure Committee is now examining the issue and has just published our submission containing our latest data and analysis.

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 2-6 March 2026

The newly elected Green MP, Hannah Spencer, will be introduced to the House of Commons. A Ministerial Statement is expected on the situation in Iran, while the Foreign Secretary faces MPs’ questions. Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver her Spring Statement, and MPs will consider billions of pounds in revised departmental spending through the Supplementary Estimates. The Commons will debate the Representation of the People Bill, the contribution of Commonwealth troops in the First World War, and the future of palliative care. In the Lords, Peers will scrutinise the Crime and Policing, Tobacco and Vapes, National Insurance Contributions, and English Devolution bills, as well as debate the India trade deal and International Women’s Day. Select committees will hear from Northern Ireland, Home Office and Cabinet Office ministers, military experts on the Armed Forces Bill, and Bank of England officials.

News / The forgotten pioneer: Who was Margaret Bondfield, Britain’s first female Cabinet Minister? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 132

Why is Britain’s first female Cabinet Minister largely forgotten? Historian Nan Sloane discusses her new biography of Margaret Bondfield, the trade unionist who became the first woman in the British Cabinet. Rising from harsh shop-floor conditions to national prominence, Bondfield took office as Minister of Labour in 1929 at the onset of the Great Depression. As economic crisis split the Labour Party, her reputation never recovered. Was she a pioneer, pragmatist, or unfairly judged? Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

News / Mandelson, Andrew and Epstein: Should there be parliamentary committee of inquiry? A conversation with Tom Tugendhat MP - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 133

After the Greens’ Gorton and Denton by-election win, we assess the fallout: pressure on the Prime Minister, possible party-switching, shifting alliances, and whether mainstream parties’ sub-30% vote share could revive electoral reform. Tom Tugendhat MP calls for a parliamentary “super-committee” to probe the Mandelson–Mountbatten-Windsor saga. Plus: Speaker drama over Mandelson’s arrest, and looming battles over the Spring Statement and billions in public spending. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS