Welcome to Parliament Matters, the new weekly podcast from the Hansard Society about the institution at the heart of our democracy – Parliament. This introductory trailer will give you a preview of what you can expect every Friday after the first full episode lands on 10 November 2023, three days after the King's Speech.
Each week, Mark D'Arcy (the BBC’s former parliamentary correspondent) and Ruth Fox (the Director of the Hansard Society) will guide you through how laws are made and ministers held accountable by the people we send to Westminster.
They will analyse the often mysterious ways our politicians do business and keep track of all the running controversies about the way Parliament works. Why? Because whether it's the taxes you pay, or the laws you've got to obey... Parliament matters!
Mark and Ruth will be answering questions from listeners on all things Parliament during each show.
Learn more and send us your questions online via the button below.
Parliament Matters is produced by the Hansard Society with the support of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, a Quaker trust which engages in philanthropy and supports work on democratic accountability.
"Hello, I'm Mark Darcy. And I'm Ruth Fox, and we're here to tell you about Parliament Matters, the new weekly podcast about all things Parliament from Hansard Society. Two things you should never see being made, laws and sausages. However appetizing they seem, you don't want to think too hard about what went into them. But the ingredients do matter. So we'll be looking at how laws are made and ministers are held accountable by the people we send to Westminster.
We'll do our best to answer your questions about them. We'll be analyzing the sometimes mysterious ways our politicians do business and keeping track of all the running controversies about the way Parliament works. Everything from whether billions of pounds should be spent on revamping the Palace of Westminster, the home of Parliament, whether the years should be spent rewriting the constitution, perhaps replacing the House of Lords with an elected Senate, not to mention the fast evolving system to stamp out bad behavior by MPs and Peers.
We'll do everything from looking back at key historical events in Parliament to discussing the latest research on democracy and politics. Between us, we've got lots of practical experience working in and around Westminster and observing Parliament and politicians at close quarters. I was the BBC's parliamentary correspondent for two decades, presenting programs like Radio 4’s Today in Parliament and the Westminster Hour, and I started out working in Parliament for an MP.
But now research and write about how Parliament works and how it can be better. This isn't our first double act because some of you may remember we used to commentate together for BBC Parliament on big votes during the Brexit era. But this podcast is being brought to you by the Hansard Society. No, not the record of parliamentary debates, but the parliamentary think-tank known as the Westminster Parliament’s critical friend.
Founded nearly 80 years ago, the Hansard Society has always been resolutely non-partisan. Its first members were Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee, and today we're bringing Parliament Matters to you with the support of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, a Quaker trust which engages in philanthropy and supports work on democratic reform. So join us each week and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts from for a regular update on the health of the institution at the very heart of our democracy, Parliament itself.
Because whether it's the taxes you pay or the laws you've got to obey, Parliament matters. You can follow us on social media @HansardSociety and look out for our first episode on Friday the 10th of November."
Use the links below to subscribe to the Hansard Society's Parliament Matters podcast on your preferred app, or search for 'Parliament Matters' on whichever podcasting service you use. If you are unable to find our podcast, please email us here.
In our latest ‘Whipping Yarn’, we talk with Simon Hart, former Conservative Chief Whip during Rishi Sunak’s Premiership. Hart opens up about his time in one of Westminster’s most demanding and discreet roles, chronicled in his new book, ‘Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip’.
If a crisis or major national event occurs during a period when Parliament is adjourned, there are often demands from MPs, the media and the public for Parliament to be ‘recalled’. But the House of Commons Standing Orders stipulate that only Government Ministers - in reality, the Prime Minister - can ask the Speaker to recall the House. In recent years the House of Lords has generally been recalled at the same time as the House of Commons.
In response to the Modernisation Committee's call for views on 17 October 2024, we submitted evidence outlining key areas we believe the Committee should prioritise. Our submission recommended a focus on: strengthening legislative scrutiny, with particular emphasis on reforming the delegated legislation system; enhancing financial scrutiny, especially in relation to the Budget and the Estimates; addressing strategic gaps in parliamentary scrutiny; making more effective use of parliamentary time; and reviewing the Standing Orders, language and rituals of the House of Commons.
This briefing explains what to watch for during the Second Reading debate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 29 November. It outlines the procedural and legislative issues that will come into play: the role of the Chair in managing the debate and how procedures such as the 'closure' and 'reasoned amendments' work. It looks ahead to the Committee and Report stage procedures that will apply if the Bill progresses beyond Second Reading. It also examines the government's responsibilities, such as providing a money resolution for the Bill and preparing an Impact Assessment, while addressing broader concerns about the adequacy of Private Members’ Bill procedures for scrutinising controversial issues.
In this ninth instalment of our special mini-podcast series, we continue to explore the latest developments in the progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, often referred to as the assisted dying bill. We are joined by Dr Marie Tidball MP to discuss the amendments she has secured for a Disability Advisory Board and an independent advocate for people with learning disabilities.
