The legislative process is underway following the King’s Speech, so what bills are planned? This week, Professor Philip Cowley, an expert on parliamentary rebellions, joins the podcast to discuss managing a mega-majority. Intriguingly, he reveals why Keir Starmer reminds him of Robert Redford.
The legislative sausage machine has cranked into action so Mark and Ruth dissect the government’s programme following the King’s Speech. They examine the proposals for major new bills on planning and devolution aimed at galvanising the economy, along with revamped legacy bills the Government is adopting from the previous administration. Where might political tensions and difficulties arise? What insights did the King’s Speech offer on parliamentary matters, and can we expect more bills beyond those identified in the legislative programme?
This week, parliamentary rebellions expert Professor Philip Cowley joins the podcast to discuss the challenges of managing a mega-majority in Parliament. What lessons can Labour learn from the Blair years? Have changes in Parliament over the last 25 years made rebellions more likely? And in a surprising revelation, Phil explains why Keir Starmer reminds him of Robert Redford!
As the initial exhilaration fades and the hard legislative grind begins, many new MPs in previous parliaments have struggled with the enormity of the job and its impact on their lives. We look at what will it be like for the generation of 2024?
Professor Philip Cowley
Professor Philip Cowley is a political scientist at Queen Mary University of London in the School of Politics and International Relations. Specialising in political parties, parliaments, and elections, his extensive research includes numerous books and articles on voting behavior and parliamentary rebellions. He regularly contributes to House Magazine with his column, "The Professor Will See You Now". Previously he co-edited the Hansard Society's quarterly journal, Parliamentary Affairs, and served as co-convenor of the Political Studies Association's Elections, Public Opinion and Parties specialist group.
What are the significant new bills highlighted in the King’s Speech?
Which legacy bills from the previous administration will the government revisit?
How long is the current parliamentary session expected to last?
Why is the government using a statutory instrument for early prisoner release to manage prison overcrowding?
Why hasn’t the Government introduced the proposed 80-year age cap for House of Lords members?
How will the Labour government handle potential rebellions and dissent among backbench MPs?
What roles and challenges do the new MPs elected in the 2024 general election face?
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.
Hansard Society
Democratic decision-making in health emergencies: Learning the lessons of the Covid pandemic - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 37
Who will be the stars of the new Parliament? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 40
UK Covid-19 Inquiry
Independent Commission on UK Public Health Emergency Powers
Final Report, May 2024
Please note, this transcript is automatically generated. There are consequently minor errors and the text is not formatted according to our style guide. If you wish to reference or cite the transcript copy below, please first check against the audio version above. Timestamps are provided above each paragraph.
00:00:02:07 - 00:00:16:09 You're listening to Parliament matters, a Hansard society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety.org.uk/pm. 00:00:16:11 - 00:00:40:02 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, the legislative sausage machine cranks into action and there are big new bills on planning and devolution to galvanize the economy. What will it be like for generation 2024 as the new MPs get down to work. And managing a mega majority? 00:00:40:08 - 00:00:52:00 What lessons can Labour learn from the Blair years? Parliamentary rebellions expert Phil Cowley weighs in. 00:00:52:02 - 00:01:15:11 But first, Ruth, we've got to talk about the King's Speech. 36 bills, plus four draft bills. It's a big programme. It's going to be a lot of work for the House of Commons and the House of Lords over the next few months, but it's not unprecedentedly big. No, I mean, it's at the higher end of the spectrum in recent years, but you can go back to 2005 after the election. 00:01:15:11 - 00:01:32:01 Then there were high number of bills, 40 odd, but it is a lot. It will be a hard grind over the course of the session. Interestingly, we don't know how long the session will be. The government hasn't said. Lucy Powell, the leader of the House of Commons, has intimated in some press appearances yesterday that it could be 18 months, possibly longer. 00:01:32:01 - 00:01:54:15 So we'll have to see. But there is a lot to get your teeth into. There's some big political bills which will come on to, but there's also, interestingly, quite a number of bills that the previous government didn't get through when it called the election. And the government's revisiting some of those. It's rebranding some of them. It'll no doubt amend some of them and bring them back in slightly different form, but essentially to achieve the same objectives.
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.
The UK Spending Review outlines how Government funds will be allocated over several years. Unlike the Budget, which raises revenue, the Review decides how it is spent. But how is it approved? What role does Parliament play if it doesn’t vote on the Review itself? This blog explores how the Spending Review works, how it differs from the Budget, and how Parliament holds the Government to account through the Estimates process.
On Friday 13 June, the House of Commons will once again debate the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. Specifically, it will hold a second day of Report Stage, during which the whole House will debate and vote on amendments. This briefing explains the structure of Report Stage, what happened on the first day of Report Stage, how amendments are selected and grouped, on which amendments a decision can still be taken, and the likely sequence of events this Friday, including whether a final vote will take place.
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, will deliver a statement on the Spending Review. MPs will resume Report Stage of the assisted dying bill and debate key legislation on football governance, mental health, and planning and infrastructure. Peers and MPs are expected to resolve their standoff over AI and copyright in the Data (Use and Access) Bill. The Commons Defence Committee will hear from the lead reviewers of the Strategic Defence Review, while a Lords Committee will examine the Chagos Archipelago sovereignty issue. The Hansard Society’s Director will give evidence to the Modernisation Committee about access to the House of Commons and its procedures.
In this episode, we explore why ministers keep bypassing Parliament to make major announcements to the media — and whether returning to the Despatch Box might help clarify their message. We unpack the Lords' uphill battle to protect creators’ rights in the Data Use and Access Bill, challenge claims that the Assisted Dying Bill lacks scrutiny, and examine early findings from a Speaker’s Conference on improving security for MPs, as threats and intimidation against politicians continue to rise. Please help us by completing our Listener Survey. It will only take a few minutes.
Our evidence on treaty scrutiny has been published by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. Our submission outlines the problems with the existing framework for treaty scrutiny and why legislative and cultural change are needed to improve Parliament's scrutiny role. Our evidence joins calls for a parliamentary consent vote for the most significant agreements, a stronger role for Parliament in shaping negotiating mandates and monitoring progress, and a sifting committee tasked with determining which agreements warrant the greatest scrutiny.
