Political representation

Democratic structures are shaped by the individuals who operate within them, so we have an ongoing interest in the role of MPs and Peers. The Parliament and Government programme looks at who represents the public at Westminster, how our politicians operate and, more broadly, the effectiveness of representative democracy.

• There has been increasing speculation that the next general election will produce a Parliament in which no single party holds a majority of seats in the House of Commons. We are bringing together a group of distinguished commentators to discuss the implications of a ‘hung parliament’. A collection of essays will be published in early 2008 on the theme of No Overall Control.
• In 2006 we published our findings on the experiences of the 2005 intake of MPs in A Year in the Life: From member of public to Member of Parliament. This report provides an insight into the background of elected representatives at Westminster, including what they hope to achieve and how they operate day-to-day.
• We have a body of research on the representation of women at Westminster. Our most recent report on this, Women at the Top: Changing Numbers, Changing Politics?, examines the presence and role of women in political life today.
• The health of our representative democracy was examined in Neglecting Democracy. This pamphlet presents a defence of the representative system from its philosophical roots to its application in 21st century mass societies like the UK.