In a powerful Churchill Attlee Lecture commemorating the Hansard Society's 80th anniversary, former Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a stark warning about the state of democracy. She expressed grave concerns about the waning trust in democratic institutions, particularly among young people.
Theresa May emphasised the urgent need for a culture of service in politics, criticizing the culture of exceptionalism at Westminster and the notion that MPs are above the law. She called for politicians to diligently serve their constituents and criticized career politicians lacking experience outside Westminster. May also stressed the importance of ministerial responsibility, urging politicians to refrain from blaming civil servants when policies encounter issues. Furthermore, she highlighted areas where the legislative and parliamentary process could be improved to ensure MPs are more effective representatives in the future.
This week, we also got a tantalizing glimpse of Labour's parliamentary strategy in a speech by Lucy Powell MP, the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. Powell outlined Labour’s plans for legislative processes if they come to power, revealing insights into the workings of a shadow Parliamentary and Business Legislation Committee designed to stress-test legislative proposals. She hinted at potential reforms in parliamentary procedure and advocated for greater use of pre-legislative scrutiny.
A dramatic Commons vote at the start of the week shifted the threshold for excluding MPs from Westminster accused of serious crimes from the point of charge to the point of arrest. Labour MP Jess Phillips delivered a powerful speech, sharing victims' voices and emphasizing the need for stronger safeguards.
The pivotal moment came with Lib Dem Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain MP’s amendment, which passed by one vote. This amendment proposed earlier exclusion to protect the safety of those on the parliamentary estate. Chamberlain reveals the behind-the-scenes efforts and cross-party collaboration that led to the successful amendment. We discuss the implications of the vote and why it's likely that the House of Commons will need to revisit the rules for proxy voting by MPs because of this week’s drama.
What does former Prime Minister Theresa May MP think about the state of our democracy, politics and Parliament?
What are Labour's plans for Parliament if they win the next election?
When and how will MPs be excluded from the parliamentary estate if they are accused of serious violent and sexual offences?
How did MPs across parties combine to lower the threshold on the House of Commons Commission's proposal to exclude MPs from the estate at the point of arrest rather than charge?
Why might the House of Commons need to revisit the rules for proxy voting because of the decision on risk-based exclusion?
Parliament Matters is supported by a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, a Quaker trust which engages in philanthropy and supports work on democratic accountability.
Wendy Chamberlain is the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for North East Fife. She was first elected to Parliament at the 2019 general election and has served as the Liberal Democrat Chief Whip and Spokesperson for Work and Pensions since 2020. She currently sits on the Scottish Affairs Select Committee and on the Speaker's Conference, which was set up in 2022 to consider the employment conditions of MPs' staff. Wendy is also the co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ending the Need for Foodbanks. During her time in Parliament she successfully sponsored a Private Members' Bill - the Carer's Leave Act 2023 - which created an entitlement for employees to be absent from work to provide or arrange care for a dependent. Before entering Parliament, she spent 12 years serving as a police officer.
Hansard Society
Institute for Government
Hansard
House of Commons Debate on Risk-Based Exclusion (13 May 2024)
House of Commons Commission
A risk-based exclusion policy for the House of Commons – updated proposals (14 December 2023)
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Welcome to Parliament Matters, the podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy, Parliament itself. I'm Ruth Fox and I'm Mark D'Arcy. Coming up, Theresa May warns democracy is in danger in the inaugural Hansard Society Churchill-Attlee Democracy Lecture. Suddenly, people are asking how Labour would govern. And this week we got a couple of glimpses of their strategy for Parliament. 00:00:40:22 - 00:00:57:01 And behind the scenes in the Commons knife edge vote on excluding MPs accused of violent or sexual crimes. "I've only been on the side of a winning vote, maybe once, maybe twice, since I was elected." 00:00:59:11 - 00:01:23:12 But first, Ruth, I think we really do have to talk about Theresa May's warning about confidence in democracy in the Churchill-Attlee Lecture. This is the start of the Hansard Society's 80th anniversary celebrations, and the former Prime Minister was actually rather downbeat about the state of our democracy at the moment, about particularly the lack of trust for democratic institutions amongst younger people. And the figures that she was producing were really quite alarming.
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – the Bill to legalise assisted dying – will begin its Committee Stage in the House of Lords on Friday 14 November. In this blog, we explain how Committee Stage works in the House of Lords, including how the House debates and decides on amendments, and how long this stage is likely to take.
Ten years after the House of Commons Petitions Committee was created – does it actually work? Does it genuinely shift policy? Or is it an emotional release valve? In this special anniversary episode, we bring together four Chairs of the Petitions Committee – one current, three former – for a candid conversation about what happens after hundreds of thousands (or sometimes millions) of people click “sign”. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.
Peers begin clause-by-clause scrutiny of the assisted dying Bill, after a Joint Committee on Human Rights evidence session on its impact on disabled people. David Lammy takes Justice questions in the Commons. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill completes its Lords stages and begins Commons ping-pong. MPs hold a Remembrance Day debate on the armed forces. Prime Minister’s Questions is followed by a Conservative Opposition Day. The Lords continue detailed scrutiny of the Border Security Bill, Tobacco and Vapes Bill, and Crime and Policing Bill and debate the Sentencing Bill for the first time. Four Secretaries of State face questions from Select Committees and Dame Antonia Romeo, the Home Office Permanent Secretary, will face scrutiny of her department’s performance.
Having passed through the House of Commons, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - the Bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales - must now go through its legislative stages in the House of Lords. This guide explains the special procedures for legislation in the House of Lords, and for Private Members’ Bills in particular. It answers some frequently asked questions, including how Peers might block the Bill, and gives an explanation of each stage of the process, from Second to Third Reading.
As Britain’s modern party system frays, we rewind 300+ years to Queen Anne’s reign to trace the messy, very human birth of Britain’s party politics in conversation with historian George Owers, author of Rage of Party. He charts how religion, war, and raw parliamentary management forged early party politics, as the Whigs and Tories hardened into recognisable parties. Parliament turned from an occasional royal event into a permanent institution, and the job that would later be called “Prime Minister” began to take shape through court craft and parliamentary number-crunching. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.
