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Parliament Matters Bulletin: Our weekly analysis of what's coming up in Parliament

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Latest edition: 28 October-1 November 2024

Westminster is always buzzing with political drama and rumours, but whatever the daily gossip or latest crisis, law-making and parliamentary scrutiny carries on regardless. That’s why it’s crucial to stay informed about what’s happening in Parliament each week. The Parliament Matters Bulletin is our weekly analysis of what's coming up in the House of Commons and House of Lords, as a complement to our weekly Parliament Matters Podcast.

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28 October-1 November 2024

It’s finally Budget Week! This Wednesday marks the historic presentation of the Budget for the first time by a female Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Budget debate will continue for the rest of the week and into next, featuring Rishi Sunak’s final appearance at the despatch box before the new Leader of the Opposition is announced on Saturday. Monday will also bring the final nominations for most select committees, allowing them to get to work planning their first inquiries. Meanwhile, two major pieces of legislation are set to advance: the Great British Energy Bill and the Renters’ Rights Bill.

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21-25 October 2024

The House of Commons will formally appoint the members of some of its select committees this week, following internal elections in the parliamentary parties. Questions remain about if and how the minor parties will be represented. Also this week, 78 Presentation Bills will receive their First Reading: one MP alone will present 30 of them. MPs will debate the Employment Rights Bill for the first time, though much of the policy detail is deferred to later regulations. And both Houses will vote on regulations implementing the first round of compensation payments for victims of the contaminated blood scandal, marking an important step in addressing this decades-long scandal.

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14-18 October 2024

This week, attention will be on the 20 MPs set to present their Private Members' Bills in the House of Commons on Wednesday, with particular focus on Kim Leadbeater’s 'assisted dying' bill. MPs will debate key Government legislation, including a bill to remove the remaining 90 hereditary peers from the House of Lords and another bill aimed at strengthening protections against terrorism through Martyn’s Law. Meanwhile, media reports suggest the formal internal party processes to choose members of the House of Commons Select Committees will begin this week.

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7-11 October 2024

It's a busy first week back following the party conferences, and the Government is expected to make a number of statements on events that happened during the recess. The first legislative committees of this Parliament will also be convened this week. However, some questions about future business remain uncertain. Will the process to nominate Select Committee members begin this week? Will we learn the dates for the 13 Private Members' Bill Friday sittings? And will more legislation be presented to Parliament before Saturday (12 October), which marks Labour's 100th day in power?

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The Palace of Westminster. ©Adobe Stock

9-13 September 2024

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2-6 September 2024

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29 July-2 August 2024

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Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House (UK Houses of Parliament). © UK Parliament

22-26 July 2024

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Parliament Matters Bulletin

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Parliament Matters podcast cover image. ©Hansard Society

Parliament Matters Podcast

Presented by Mark D'Arcy, former BBC parliamentary correspondent, and our Director, Ruth Fox, you can listen to our weekly podcast by subscribing via your favourite app.

News / The Budget: Why aren't MPs told first? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 51

The Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has criticised Ministers for leaking the content of the Budget. But Ministers have strong incentives to “pre-leak” plans, making the practice unlikely to stop, especially as the Speaker has limited power to penalise them. We also discuss the sub judice rule, which bars MPs from commenting on ongoing court cases amid controversy about the handling of the Southport murder case. Finally, former Liberal Democrat minister David Laws offers insights into a century of Labour-Lib Dem relations as we explore what the future holds for the Liberal Democrats in Parliament.

01 Nov 2024
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News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What's coming up in Parliament this week? 28 October - 1 November 2024

It’s finally Budget Week! This Wednesday marks the historic presentation of the Budget for the first time by a female Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Budget debate will continue for the rest of the week and into next, featuring Rishi Sunak’s final appearance at the despatch box before the new Leader of the Opposition is announced on Saturday. Monday will also bring the final nominations for most select committees, allowing them to get to work planning their first inquiries. Meanwhile, two major pieces of legislation are set to advance: the Great British Energy Bill and the Renters’ Rights Bill.

27 Oct 2024
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Publications / What’s the point of petitions? What the last century reveals about petitioning and people power in modern Britain

Petitioning has been one of the most popular and persistent forms of political participation since the dawn of mass democracy in Britain. But little is known about its development throughout much of the 20th Century. Contrary to received wisdom at the time or since, petitioning did not become irrelevant or old-fashioned in the era of universal suffrage. Moreover, petitioners often held more subtle or sophisticated definitions of ‘success’ than those who condemned the practice as ineffective.

25 Oct 2024
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Briefings / 14 things to look out for in Parliament this Autumn

When parliamentarians return to Westminster on October 7, all eyes will be on the Budget — the major parliamentary event on the immediate horizon. However, as the Government’s legislative agenda picks up speed and select committees get underway, there will be many other important developments to track. In the months ahead, we’ve identified 14 key issues worth watching closely, particularly as some of them may provide crucial signals about how this Government’s approach to and treatment of Parliament compares to its predecessors.

04 Oct 2024
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Blog / Select committee chair elections: what do the results tell us about the new Parliament?

The House of Commons recently held elections for the chairs of its select committees in the new Parliament. But how did this year's elections compare to those of previous years? Were they more competitive? How well were women and ethnic minority MPs represented among the candidates and winners? And what level of parliamentary experience do the newly elected chairs bring to the table?

27 Sep 2024
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