Publications

Who Governs? Forming a coalition or a minority government in the event of a hung Parliament

2010-03-10T14:03:00Z

Authors: Professor Robert Blackburn (Professor of Constitutional Law at King’s College London) and Dr Ruth Fox (Director of the Hansard Society’s Parliament & Government Programme), Oonagh Gay (Chair, Study of Parliament Group), Lucinda Maer (Senior Research Clerk, House of Commons Library).

The Hansard Society and the Study of Parliament Group have published a new pamphlet on hung Parliaments on Thursday March 11. Who Governs? Forming a coalition or a minority government in the event of a hung Parliament examines what will happen in the event of an uncertain general election result this year – with particular focus on the implications for Parliament, but also looking at issues such as financial markets, how long it will take to resolve and the role of the Queen. Key questions include:

Who wins – the party with the most seats or the most votes?
What does this mean for formal coalitions or informal agreements with other parties?
What can a ‘caretaker’ Prime Minister do? What can he not do?
What is the role of the Queen?
How long does it all take to get sorted out?
What effect will the financial markets have on the process?
Would the Wright Committee reforms help or hinder the process?
Does a hung Parliament mean weak government?
How will MPs balance Westminster and constituency duties in a hung Parliament?
What effect would a hung Parliament have on the House of Lords and the Salisbury Convention?

Download the full briefing paper here.

No Overall Control? The impact of a 'hung parliament' on British politics (March 2008)

For press queries please contact Virginia Gibbons on 020 7438 1225 or mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk

Read the Press Release here.

The 7th Annual Audit of Political Engagement

2010-03-03T12:32:00Z

The 2010 Hansard Society annual Audit of Political Engagement has been released. The Audit this year has a special focus on MPs and Parliament, raises a number of topical issues in the context of MPs' expenses and the forthcoming general election, and provides longer term reflections on the level of continuity and change charted in the Audit findings over the course of this Parliament.

It shows that while the MPs' expenses scandal has affected the public's satisfaction with and perception of MPs and the Westminster Parliament, there has not been a change in the level of trust people say they have in politicians or politics. However, a significant finding of the Audit this year is that there has been a big decline since 2004 in the perceived impact of the Westminster Parliament on people's lives, compared to other institutions. Only 19% think Parliament is one of the top three influential institutions on their everyday lives - an 11% drop from 2004. But 60% still think Parliament is 'worthwhile', compared to only 14% who disagree.

Other key findings include:

Public dissatisfaction with how MPs in general do their jobs has risen by 8%
Whilst 71% of people say they have discussed MP's expenses in the last year, but only 41% say they have discussed politics or political views
76% say it is their duty to vote, but only 54% say they are absolutely certain to vote

Using statistical techniques the Audit divides the public into eight groups and looks at the 'voting gap' for each group - the difference between each group's 'duty to vote' and their 'certainty to vote'. Two groups of people have been identified as the people that politicians and political parties should concentrate on to increase voter turn out:

The 'politically contented' (6% of British adults) where 92% have a 'duty to vote' but only 55% have a 'certainty to vote'. This group are fairly positive about politics and therefore may be more open than most to positive efforts to engage with them.
The 'disengaged/mistrustful' (24% of British adults) where 60% have a 'duty to vote' and 24% have a 'certainty to vote'. This group are more likely to be mistrustful of politicians, but they are not alienated or hostile; at 24% of the population they are too large to ignore and present opportunities for targeted engagement initiatives.

Download the full 2010 Hansard Society annual Audit of Political Engagement.

Listen to the launch event

See the photos from the launch

Read the press release for the 2010 Hansard Society annual Audit of Political Engagement.

Televised Leaders' Debates - 1997 & 2001

2009-07-30T09:01:00Z

In the run up to the 1997 General Election the Hansard Society published a paper in the King-Hall Paper series looking at the implications of televised Leaders' Debates on political engagement. The debate about the merits of such events are being discussed again in the media in the run up to what is likely to be a General Election year in 2010; we have re-published our research on the area in electronic format for free download:

Televised Leaders' Debates: An Evaluation & Proposal 1997

Televised Leaders' Debates Revisted 2001

Restoring trust in the House of Lords

2009-07-24T09:01:00Z

Recent events in the House of Lords regarding conduct have raised serious questions about standards of conduct within the second chamber, including questions around allowances, peers' external interests and enforcement of sanctions for misconduct. This new briefing paper from the Hansard Society explores these issues and sets out a range of measures and recommendations for reinstating public trust in the House of Lords. Key recommendations include:

Empowering the office of the Lord Speaker to be able to better represent and act on behalf of the House and take forward a mandate for reform.
Significant revision of the Code of Conduct, including setting out a clear ethos and mission for the House of Lords and extending the Code to cover the use of allowances and expenses.
Consideration of the introduction of a hybrid payments system for allowances and expenses to better reflect the degree of each peer's involvement in the work of the House.
Establishing a hierarchy of possible sanctions that may be applied for breaches of a new Code of Conduct up to and including permanent expulsion from the House.
Establishing a system of external independent regulation for the management of the Lords allowances and expenses system and enforcement of the Code of Conduct.

Download the full briefing paper.

Lib Dem MPs more likely to be on Facebook

2009-07-02T09:30:00Z

Most MPs use Facebook for one-way communication not campaigning

Today, the Hansard Society launches MPs on Facebook, the first in a new series of short Digital Papers examining how parliamentarians are using social media.

MPs on Facebook shows that while over half (51%) of Liberal Democrat MPs have a presence on Facebook, the figures for Labour and the Conservatives are 15% and 9%, respectively.

The research identified three main types of usage: campaigning, communication and personal:

- 46% of MPs are using Facebook primarily as a communications tool

- 31% of MPs are using Facebook primarily to canvas and campaign

- 13% of MPs are using Facebook primarily for personal information

- 10% of MPs' Facebook pages are ‘inactive'

The research also examined the frequency and nature of online activity of MPs' Facebook pages:

42% of MPs publish at least one item daily
17% regularly make multiple posts in the same day
23% publish no more than once a week
6% publish less than that

Andy Williamson, Director of the Hansard Society eDemocracy Programme, commented: ‘Using Facebook as a one-way publishing medium ignores its real benefits. The key to harnessing this new generation of tools is conversation and engagement where citizens can communicate with their MPs and get a response. Most MPs have a long way to go before they can claim to truly understand the power of social media.'

For further information, contact Virginia Gibbons, Head of Communications at the Hansard Society on 020 7438 1225 / 07812 765552

Editors' Notes

The Hansard Society is the UK's leading independent, non-partisan political research and education charity.
MPs on Facebook is the first in an occasional series of short Digital Papers from the Hansard Society eDemocracy Programme.
The Hansard Society eDemocracy Programme's thought-leading research has been a formative part of an emergent digital Britain from the internet's impact on Parliament, to better government engagement with citizens and the potential for civil society to harness digital media. The eDemocracy Programme undertakes research and produces publications and commentaries with a focus on online political communication and citizen engagement, exploring the many faces of digital inclusion, citizen engagement, political campaigning and parliamentary process.

New briefing on House of Commons reform - June 15, 2009

2009-06-15T11:52:00Z

The Hansard Society published a briefing paper for reform of the House of Commons drawing on 20 years of research work and recommendations to strengthen Parliament. The blueprint was published to coincide with the first ever Speaker Hustings held in public view, and before the media, hosted by the Hansard Society. It can be downloaded for free here

Among the blueprint proposals recommended by the Hansard Society are:

A Business Committee for the House of Commons to put control of the parliamentary timetable in the hands of a cross party body of MPs rather than leaving it in the control of the executive.
A Parliamentary Finance Office, modelled on the US Government Accounting Office, would provide individual MPs with independent expertise and advice on financial matters, empowering them to better scrutinise public spending and taxation proposals.
A shift towards a committee based culture in the House of Commons with the main chamber taking on a plenary focus. Select committee chairs and members should be elected by MPs not party whips, the work of committees should be better integrated into wider parliamentary activity and more time should be set aside for the detailed work that committees undertake.
A system of e-Petitions, managed through a new Petitions Committee, to help revitalise public engagement with Parliament. Hansard Society research shows that the public are more likely to sign a petition than to engage in any other form of democratic activity. This has to be properly integrated into parliamentary procedures.
The appointment of a Chief Executive to professionalise the organisation and operation of the House of Commons. At present the House is managed by the Clerk of the House. Clerks are expert professional advisers on constitutional and procedural issues. They are not experts in management, budgets, human resources and logistics. A Chief Executive should take on these responsibilities.

The Scottish Parliament 1999-2009: The First Decade (May 2009)

2009-05-18T16:48:00Z

12 May 2009 marks the 10-year anniversary of the first inaugural sessions of the Scottish Parliament. Rarely can such high expectations have been invested in a political institution. The Parliament was to become the fulcrum of a 'new politics'. Expectations were high. As the parliament moves into its second decade, now is the perfect time to reflect on its role in the Scottish and wider UK political process. This publication from the Hansard Society looks at:

What has been learned?
What have been the challenges and its achievements?
Has it matured unto the effective legislative body that so many hoped for?

This edited collection of essays from distinguished commentators, academics and parliamentarians discuss some of the key issues in the development of the Scottish parliament over the past decade.

It can be ordered from Luath Press.

Audit of Political Engagement 6

2009-04-01T00:00:00Z

The annual Audit of Political Engagement carried out by the Hansard Society measures the nature and extent of political engagement and reveals where views have changed - and where they remain constant. It offers a yearly snapshot of political knowledge and engagement in Britain.

Audit 6 has a special focus on the public's attitudes to political participation and citizenship and explores issues such as the degree to which people want to be actively involved in decision-making locally and nationally, how influential in decision-making they feel they are, and how satisfied they are with the system of governance in Britain. This Audit indicates that an ‘Obama effect' may be developing among British black and ethnic minorities (BMEs):

41% of BMEs agree that ‘when people like me get involved in politics, they really can change the way that the country is run' compared to 31% of whites - a 10% increase since last year
42% of BMEs are ‘very' or ‘fairly' interested in politics -a 15% increase since last year
43% think the present system of governing works well compared to 32% of whites - the first time in six annual Audits that BME respondents are more optimistic than whites

Download the full Audit of Political Engagement 6

Listen to the event and see photos here

For more information about the Audit of Political Engagement Series, click here. The raw survey data from the opinion polling carried out by Ipsos MORI for Audit 6 is available to download here.

Audit 6 was funded by the Ministry of Justice and the House of Commons.

MPs Online: Connecting with Constituents

2009-02-24T09:43:00Z

A new Hansard Society report, sponsored by Microsoft, MPs Online: Connecting with Constituents, reveals that MPs are using the internet primarily to inform their constituents rather than engage with them. The most widely used digital media are those which are mainly passive in nature, such as websites. Interactive forms of media which could be used by MPs to develop a two-way dialogue with their constituents, such as blogs and social networking, are used less commonly. Where these tools are used, it is often in passive 'send' mode with few MPs exploiting their full interactive potential.

Key findings from the research are:

- 92% of MPs use email
- 83% of MPs have a personal website
- 23% of MPs use social networking
- 11% of MPs blog

Click here to download the full report.

Hansard Scholars Programme Official Transcripts

2008-12-09T14:05:00Z

If you participated in the programme in the last 12 months you do not have to pay for transcripts. Please contact Ivanna Chakma, Programme Coordinator I.Chakma@hansard.lse.ac.uk or call on 020 7438 1223.

If you participated on the programme 12 months ago and would like copies of your transcript, they cost £7 (including P&P). Please use PayPal to order them.

Parliament and the Public: Knowledge, interest and perceptions

2008-11-25T11:20:00Z

The Westminster Parliament is the heart of democracy in the United Kingdom. But in this age of widespread political disenchantment, how do the British people view the nation's supreme representative body? The Hansard Society's annual Audit of Political Engagement recently found that 75% of people agree that a strong Parliament is good for democracy, yet only a third are satisfied with how the institution works at the moment.

In an effort to shed further light on the public's complex relationship with Parliament, we commissioned ComRes to conduct a poll examining people's attitudes towards the institution. The results reveal strikingly low levels of knowledge about Parliament, as well as some surprising perceptions about its role.

Just 32% of people agree that they ‘have a good understanding of the way Parliament works'
Only one in two members of the public are confident that Parliament is not the same thing as government
Just over half of people (53%) have an interest in Parliament
Younger people (aged 18-34) and women are more likely to want to know more about Parliament
Nearly half of people agree that Parliament undertakes important functions that no other body can undertake
An overwhelming majority of people feel that that Parliament is unrepresentative of British society
Only 19% of people agree that Parliament is ‘working for them'

The full report is available to download free here: Parliament and the Public: Knowledge, interest and perceptions .

The full ComRes poll results are available to view free here: ComRes Public Poll Results

Government must take risks to achieve successful online engagement, says new Hansard Society report

2008-08-13T11:10:00Z

Digital Dialogues Third Phase Report: August 2007 - August 2008

An independent review into the use of online technologies to enhance engagement between central government and the public.

Digital Dialogues 3, a new report from the Hansard Society, shows that government can successfully use the internet to engage, consult and build public trust - providing it follows a few simple rules:

* Government departments must be adaptable and willing to take risks;

* Transparency and timely feedback to participants is essential;

* Government departments must be clear about the purpose of the consultation and the ways that participants' contributions will be used;

* The right people - ministers and senior policy makers - must be involved;

* Evaluation is essential to ensure that departments learn and improve on the basis of experience.

For more information, click here

Law in the Making: Influence and Change in the Legislative Process (July 2008)

2008-07-17T09:09:00Z

Law in the Making: Influence and Change in the Legislative Process is the most recent publication to be launched by the Hansard Society.

This publication costs £13.50 (including P&P)

"Law in the Making is a fine piece of scholarship, which is forensic, balanced and informative. It is a thorough exploration of how policy ideas gradually evolve into binding law" – Rt Hon Jack Straw MP

This original, in-depth research carried out by the Hansard Society, analyses the influences and elements that come together in making an act of Parliament. It looks at the role of external actors such as, the media, voluntary organisations, governmental bodies, professional associations and businesses, as well as Parliament and government departments in the process of making the law.

This two year study, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, draws upon the findings from five detailed case studies and over 80 exclusive interviews with ministers, MPs, peers, government and parliamentary officials and pressure groups. The case studies examined were:

The Export Control Act 2002;
The Equality Act 2006;
The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006;
The Legislative and Regulatory Act 2006;
The Welfare Reform Act 2007.

The research tracks these, along with selected private members' bills, through all the various stages of the legislative process.

ISBN: 978 0900432 39 2

Audit of Political Engagement 5 (March 2008)

2008-03-27T12:32:00Z

ISBN: 978 0900432 34 7
Free download

Audit 5 includes a special section on constitutional issues to discover how much the public know about how our constitutional arrangements operate, which areas they are satisfied with and which they think are ripe for reform. This report is valuable source of information and debate for all those who are concerned with the health of our democratic system.

For more information about the Audit of Political Engagement Series, click here. The raw survey data from the opinion polling carried out by Ipsos MORI for Audit 5 is available here.

Audit 5 was funded by the Ministry of Justice and the House of Commons.

No Overall Control? The impact of a 'hung parliament' on British politics (March 2008).

2008-03-10T17:23:00Z

Edited by Alex Brazier and Susanna Kalitowski
ISBN: 978 0900432 29 3
This publication costs £13.50 (including P&P).

There has been increasing speculation that the next UK general election might produce a parliament in which no single party holds a majority of seats - a ‘hung parliament'. It is over 30 years since the last hung parliament so what would be the modern day consequences for Parliament, the political parties, individual MPs, and the public? Would a hung parliament strengthen Parliament and better reflect the wishes of the electorate or would it render government indecisive and unstable?

This edited collection of essays from distinguished commentators, academics and parliamentarians discusses the implications of a hung parliament and presents a range of different views on the subject.

No Overall Control? was supported by The Nuffield Foundation.

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