Parliament Matters: A podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy
About Parliament Matters
Join two of the UK's leading parliamentary experts, Mark D'Arcy and Ruth Fox, as they guide you through the often mysterious ways our politicians do business and explore the running controversies about the way Parliament works.
The end of hereditary peers in the House of Lords? (#49)
MPs debated the bill to abolish hereditary peers’ right to sit and vote in the House of Lords. But what were the opposition’s arguments? We reflect on the Government's first 100 days: is it improving legislative standards? Twenty Private Members’ Bills were announced this week: which ones may get traction? And a new Speaker’s Conference on the safety of MPs and candidates has been established. So, what is it, and what might it do?
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Mark and Ruth will be answering questions from listeners on all things Parliament during each show.
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The podcast is produced with initial support from JRCT, a Quaker trust which engages in philanthropy and supports work on democratic accountability.
Electing party leaders: who should decide?
Episode 48 (11 October 2024)
The Conservative leadership race is heating up, but should MPs alone choose their leader? Should MPs who resign their party's whip face by-elections? On 29 November, MPs are expected to debate the controversial 'assisted dying' bill - will it stymie other Private Members’ Bills? Meanwhile, Nigel Farage is pushing for a parliamentary debate and vote on the government's deal regarding the Chagos Islands. Will he get his way?
Select Committee chair elections: who won and can they work together?
Episode 47 (13 September 2024)
In this episode, we explore the outcomes and implications of the latest Select Committee Chair elections in Parliament. The newly elected chairs will play a pivotal role in scrutinising the government, but can they effectively work together? We talk to Dr. Marc Geddes, a leading expert on Select Committees, who highlights how this year’s competitive elections compare to previous parliaments and what that could mean for committee dynamics in the future.
Inside the Private Members' Bill Ballot: 20 MPs win the legislative lottery
Episode 46 (6 September 2024)
The Private Members’ Bill (PMB) ballot for this Session has been drawn, giving 20 MPs the opportunity to introduce a law of their choice. Potential bills could include proposals such as assisted dying, but what are the real chances of success? We talk to PMB expert, Dr. Daniel Gover, to understand the value of these bills and what to watch out for in the coming months.
Inside the hidden world of law-making: A conversation with Nikki da Costa
Episode 45 (16 August 2024)
Supermajority vs. micro-opposition: Parliament after the general election?
Episode 39 (28 June 2024)
Democratic decision-making in health emergencies: Learning the lessons of the Covid pandemic
Episode 37 (31 May 2024)
Is AI set to destroy trust in elections? Tackling misinformation in politics & Parliament, with top fact checker Full Fact's Chris Morris
Episode 32 (30 April 2024)
Rwanda Bill becomes law: but what was really going on behind the scenes in Parliament?
Episode 31 (26 April 2024)
Tobacco and Vapes Bill: free vote blows smoke in Rishi Sunak's eyes
Episode 30 (19 April 2024)
William Wragg's honeytrap crisis, and is Speaker Hoyle under threat?
Episode 29 (12 April 2024)
Defending free speech from SLAPPs: MP Wayne David on his Private Member's Bill
Episode 28 (28 March 2024)
The Budget: is the democratic deficit as bad as the financial deficit? How Parliament handles money
Episode 25 (7 March 2024)
The Foreign Affairs Committee: commentator or influencer? A conversation with Alicia Kearns MP
Episode 24 (4 March 2024)
![The Rt Hon Liz Truss MP giving a speech, 7 October 2020. © Number 10 [Flickr] / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED](https://images.ctfassets.net/n4ncz0i02v4l/5ELuvfB30ceMqN69KFu0yi/43c2e78b71235950ffaf59e6c49e2f46/-PMP.E23-_Banner_Image__1920x1080_.png?fm=avif&fit=fill&q=60&w=1920&h=1080&f=center)
The Commons Speaker survives (for now), Liz Truss takes on the ‘Deep State’, plus how do we detoxify politics?
Episode 23 (1 March 2024)
![The Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP is interviewed by Andrew Neil on new TV news channel GB News, 16 June 2021. © HM Treasury [Flickr] / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED](https://images.ctfassets.net/n4ncz0i02v4l/2tyF0kqda1Z6FDOynk98wJ/b7025844cd4c9688253dd47f7a8d458b/-PMP.E22-_Banner_image__1920x1080_.png?fm=avif&fit=fill&q=60&w=1920&h=1080&f=center)
The decline and fall of the political interview: A discussion with Rob Burley
Episode 22 (27 February 2024)
Commons chaos: Can the Speaker survive a monumental misjudgement?
Episode 21 (22 February 2024)
![The Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, at Prime Minister's Questions, 25 October 2023. ©UK Parliament/Maria Unger [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED]](https://images.ctfassets.net/n4ncz0i02v4l/2Xo0Fx0vmNmal6cvsC6BNn/06a1aad81fd21d3c52b786cb21514979/-PMP.E20-_Banner_image_v2__1920x1080_.jpg?fm=avif&fit=fill&q=60&w=1934&h=1032&f=center)
Urgent Questions: We answer your questions about how Parliament works
Episode 20 (15 February 2024)
What if they gave a coup and nobody came? The Tory leadership soap opera continued
Episode 17 (26 January 2024)
War powers, Rwanda ‘mayhem’ and Ian Dunt on the state of Westminster
Episode 16 (19 January 2024)
The inside story: Parliament and the Post Office Horizon scandal
Episode 15 (12 January 2024)
Election alert and the year ahead in Parliament: Why are so many election rules being changed?
Episode 14 (5 January 2024)
Michael Crick & Tomorrow’s MPs: The latest news on parliamentary candidate selections
Episode 12 (29 December 2024)
Is Parliament a decaying organism? Lord Lisvane on our crumbling constitution
Episode 10 (22 December 2023)
‘These guys like to be written about’: The art of parliamentary sketchwriting, with Rob Hutton
Episode 9 (18 December 2023)
High drama or damp squib?… And what’s happening with pairing?
Episode 8 (15 December 2024)
Westenders: The battle for the heart and soul of the Conservative Party
Episode 7 (8 December 2023)
Total reshuffle, emergency legislation and Parliament’s ‘Golden Ticket’
Episode 4 (17 November 2023)
All change on the Committee corridor and regulating the conduct and standards of MPs
Episode 2 (12 November 2023)
Introducing: Parliament Matters – A new podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy
Trailer (3 November 2023)
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Use the links below to subscribe to the Hansard Society's Parliament Matters podcast on your preferred app, or search for 'Parliament Matters' on whichever podcasting service you use. If you are unable to find our podcast, please email us here.
