This is a crucial time for our parliamentary democracy.
There is growing concern about the constitutional balance of power between Parliament and the executive, standards in public life and worrying levels of public cynicism about politics and politicians. There has never been a more important time to support the Society’s work.
By becoming a member, making a donation or simply subscribing to one of our shopping reward programmes, you can support our work to improve the way Parliament works and help us continue to deliver free events and projects to champion a more informed public debate about parliamentary democracy.
Will you support our work by becoming a member of the Hansard Society or making a donation?
Amid growing concern about the increase in executive power and the side-lining of Parliament, there has never been a more important time to support us in developing solutions to improve the way Parliament works and to champion more informed public debate about Parliament and parliamentary democracy.
Our members form a valuable network of people who care about Parliament, public life and politics and want our parliamentary institutions to prosper in the future.
The Hansard Society is enrolled on Give as you Live, a charity-focused platform that allows you to support our work at no extra cost when shopping online with thousands of UK retailers.
Give as you Live allows you to support your chosen charity when shopping online with over 5,000 participating UK retailers, including John Lewis & Partners and many more.
All you need to do is install Give as you Live's browser extension and every time you visit a participating retailer, you will be prompted to allow a small percentage of your purchase to be donated to the Hansard Society at no extra cost to you.
Support the Hansard Society with Give as you live:
Create an account on the Give as you Live website here and select the Hansard Society as your chosen charity.
Download and install the Give as you Live extension for your preferred desktop browser (below). After activating the extension, you will be prompted to make your purchase via Give As You Live when visiting a participating retailer.
Download and install the Give as you Live mobile app here to browse and search for participating retailers where you can shop and support the Hansard Society on the go.
Browse participating retailers and shop directly from the Give as you Live website here.
Frequently asked questions:
Will I incur any additional costs? No! It does not cost you a penny more to purchase goods via Give as you Live and the donation will be made by the retailer and not you.
How much does Give as you Live donate? Give as you Live are partnered with 5,500 stores as well as dozens of providers across insurance, energy and broadband, and the donation varies for each retailer. After you make a purchase through Give as you Live you will receive an email you to let you know how much has been raised for the Hansard Society.
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.
