Massive majority feel Parliament ignores them - 12 Aug, 2004

80% of visitors to Hansard Society exhibition feel they're kept in dark about issues before Parliament

Over 45,000 people have now visited a major Hansard Society exhibition housed in Westminster Hall and given their verdict on what they think of our parliamentary democracy and what changes they want to see. 80% of those who took part in the Hansard Society survey expressed a desire to be informed and consulted on issues before Parliament and felt let down by being excluded from what they perceived as politics conducted by and for the elite.

The most commonly expressed frustration, echoing the recent report of the Modernisation Committee, was that the public felt unwelcome at Westminster:

I feel excluded. Everyone kow-tows to MPs and Lords in this building, but it's my taxes that pay for it. (Visitor quote)

The security staff could be more welcoming - we're not terrorists. This is OUR House.
(Visitor quote)

Lack of information about what goes on in Parliament in their name was another complaint - blame was shared by parliamentarians and those who report on Parliament. The vast majority surveyed had no idea how to find out what debates were coming up in Parliament or how to follow through an issue that they were interested in. Most suggestions for change indicated that citizens were far more at home with the world of technology than the average parliamentarian - from pleas to make more use of web sites, emails, text messaging, video archiving and weblogs, to detailed proposals for Green Papers to be publicised on the internet for comments.

Each MP should have a weblog or e-journal of their parliamentary and constituency activities.
(Visitor quote)

The political media are also taken to task. Contributors to the survey made it clear that they see parliamentarians and journalists as part of the same club and there were many requests for political reporting to be marketed differently. The main complaint was the lack of explanation of political terms and suggestions ranged from a single-page summary of each day's debates in the free Metro paper, pre-publicity for which debates were happening and when, new TV shows, cartoons, adverts and even a request for a "rant line like Radio 5 live".

Instead of presenting big sessions in BBC Parliament, you could have a 30-minute programme on any one of the five most seen channels explaining what's going on in UK politics.
(Visitor quote)

While access and information were high on the list of demands from visitors to the exhibition, the easy winner was consultation. From interactive voting on BBC Parliament to internet-based referenda, it's clear that many citizens feel their views are ignored by the political classes.

Allow people to communicate their views through all means - letters, emails, website, text, phone, interactive digital etc - both on a general basis, but also in ‘real-time' allowing people to provide input during debates.
(Visitor quote)

Clare Ettinghausen, Director of the Hansard Society, commented: "The worrying aspect of the exhibition survey results is that these citizens, by the very fact that they visited a political exhibition at the heart of Westminster, are the ones who care most about politics. If they feel excluded and their voices unheard, what challenge does that give the politicians and the journalists in how they fulfil their role in the communication of parliamentary democracy in the UK?"

House to Home is open, free to the public, from 12 July to 20 August 2004.

For further information, to organise interviews or to request photographs, contact Gareth Jenkins on 020 7395 4003 or 078417 50043 or G.Jenkins@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Editors' Notes

• The survey results above are based on a survey of visitors to the House and Home exhibition between Monday July 12 and Wednesday August 11, 2004.
• House to Home: Bringing Parliament and people together has been designed for the Hansard Society by leading creative architects Branson Coates.
• For those who cannot visit the exhibition, a similar journey of ideas is available online at http://www.housetohomelive.com
• The Hansard Society has permission from the House authorities for filming/broadcasting to take place from this exhibition.
• Pictures of the exhibition and visitors are available from the Hansard Society.
• The Hansard Society is an independent, non-partisan educational charity, which exists to promote effective parliamentary democracy. Good government needs to be supported and balanced by a strong, effective parliamentary democracy. Our work aims to strengthen Parliament by encouraging greater accessibility and closer engagement with the public. This year the Hansard Society celebrates its 60th anniversary.