Publications / Reports

Parliament in the Public Eye 2006: Coming into Focus? A Review of the Hansard Society Commission on the Communication of Parliamentary Democracy

1 Nov 2006
Blurred photo of the UK Parliament, Westminster

This 2006 collection of essays and commentaries is a follow-up to Members Only? Parliament in the Public Eye, the May 2005 report of the Hansard Society Commission on the Communication of Parliamentary Democracy, chaired by David Puttnam. The 2006 report reviewed developments since publication of the original report and identified what remained to be done.

The follow-up report aimed to promote discussion of the Commission’s report and highlight the need to continue to pursue its recommendations.

David Puttnam - the Chair of the original Commission - introduced the collection, highlighting the changes that had taken place since publication of the Commission's report, and what he would like to see happen next.

Clare Ettinghausen considered the Commission’s findings in relation to the administration of Parliament, and the way in which this impacts on communications. Patricia Hodgson discussed the ways in which a co-ordinated strategy would improve parliamentary communication, while Virginia Gibbons looked at the role of the media. Jackie Ashley contributed her own overview of changes since the Commission reported.

Each of these essays is followed by a comment from a leading practitioner with intimate knowledge of the issues involved: Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Leader of the House of Commons; Rt Hon Theresa May MP, Shadow Leader of the House of Commons; John Pullinger, House of Commons Librarian; and Greg Hurst, political correspondent of The Times and Honorary Secretary of the Parliamentary Press Gallery.

At the end of the collection, an audit analysed progress on each of the Commission's 39 recommendations.

Banner image: 'Bokeh Parliament', by Luiz Filipe Carneiro Machado.

News / How will Donald Trump's return reverberate in the UK Parliament? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 53

Kemi Badenoch sparred with Keir Starmer for the first time at Prime Ministers’ Questions. We assess her debut as Leader of the Opposition and the impact she made in the chamber. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s return to the White House is expected to reshape British policy across multiple fronts - we look at how it could influence Parliament’s agenda in the coming years. Finally, we head to Belfast for insights from political expert, David Phinnemore, on the constitutional conundrum unfolding in Northern Ireland.

08 Nov 2024
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News / Urgent Questions: Answering your questions about how Parliament works - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 52

In this episode, we discuss a variety of intriguing questions from listeners about the traditions and inner workings of Parliament. Topics include conduct in the Commons chamber, the practice of whipped votes, the origins of the Private Members' Bill ballot, and the unusual presence of ministers on select committees. We also discuss why MPs often refer to question numbers rather than asking questions directly in the Chamber, and consider the prospects for a future House of Lords committee dedicated to scrutinising EU-related issues affecting Northern Ireland.

06 Nov 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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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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Events / The inaugural Churchill-Attlee Democracy Lecture, given by the Rt Hon Theresa May MP

To mark the Hansard Society’s 80th anniversary, we have launched the Churchill-Attlee Democracy Lecture in honour of our first members, Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. The inaugural lecture was given by former Prime Minister the Rt Hon Theresa May MP on 14 May 2024. All proceeds from ticket sales went to our 80th Anniversary Appeal. See below for a video recording and transcript of the event.

14 May 2024
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