What's the point of petitioning Parliament? - Parliament Matters podcast

News

What's the point of petitioning Parliament? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 56

22 Nov 2024

It’s Parliament Week, and Ruth and Mark are joined by researchers Cristina Leston-Bandeira and Richard Hussey to celebrate an unsung hero of Westminster: the petitioning system. Once on the verge of irrelevance, this mechanism has seen record levels of public engagement, sparking debates and inquiries on an avalanche of citizen-driven issues. Together, they explore how petitioning adds value for both petitioners and MPs, and what has driven this surprising revival of a centuries-old tradition in the digital age.

LISTEN

As the news of the death of Tony Blair’s Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, reaches us, Ruth and Mark reflect on his unique place in British politics. Prescott was more than a brawler; he was a symbol of working-class pride in a political landscape increasingly dominated by career politicians from privileged backgrounds. With the decline of working-class representation in the House of Commons, they ask: could Angela Rayner, the current Deputy Prime Minister, step into Prescott’s shoes? Can she wield the same influence within Sir Keir Starmer’s government and hold Labour’s coalition together as Prescott once did?

With the select committee system kicking into gear - launching inquiries and grilling cabinet ministers - Ruth and Mark explore whether this quieter venue could outperform the raucous Commons Chamber in scrutinising the Government. In a Parliament where Labour’s dominance looms large, how might committees leverage their tools to ensure Ministers are held to account, especially when their reports are ignored, or responses fall short?

From nostalgia for a working-class titan to the mechanics of modern parliamentary accountability, Ruth and Mark delve into the past, present, and future of how Westminster engages with the people it serves.

← Back to Parliament Matters homepage

Listen on our YouTube channel (captioned)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Our guests

Professor Richard Huzzey

A historian based at the University of Durham, Richard's research focuses on modern British history, including the British Empire, popular politics and social movements, slavery and abolition, and petitioning in the UK. He currently leads the 'Petitions and People Power in Twentieth-Century Britain' research project, publishing the headline findings in the 'What's the point of petitions?' report in collaboration with the Hansard Society.

Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira

A political scientist based at the University of Leeds, Cristina's research focuses on Parliament, public and digital engagement, and petitions and she chairs the International Parliament Engagement Network. She is currently involved in the 'A Global Comparative Ethnography of Parliaments, Politicians and People: representations, relationships and ruptures', and the 'Petitioning and People Power in Twentieth-Century Britain', research projects. She co-authored a report - 'What's the point of petitions?' - setting out the headline findings of the latter project in collaboration with the Hansard Society.

Resources

Hansard Society

Anna Bocking-Welch, Richard Huzzey, Cristina Leston-Bandeira and Henry Miller (2024), What’s the point of petitions? What the last century reveals about petitioning and people power in modern Britain
Online event: The Assisted Dying Bill: How will Parliament decide? Exploring the parliamentary process - 6pm, Tuesday 26 November

Transcript

Please note, this transcript is automatically generated. There are consequently minor errors and the text is not formatted according to our style guide. If you wish to reference or cite the transcript copy below, please first check against the audio version above.

[00:00:00] You are listening to Parliament Matters, a Hansard Society production, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Learn more at hansardsociety.org.uk/pm.

Ruth Fox: Welcome to Parliament Matters, the podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy, Parliament itself. I'm Ruth Fox,

Mark D'Arcy: and I'm Mark Darcy.

Ruth Fox: Coming up, will John Prescott go down as the Commons' last working class hero?

Mark D'Arcy: They're back. Will the select committees host the real action in this Parliament?

Ruth Fox: And Westminster's hidden success story. How the dying art of petitioning Parliament has been revived.

Mark D'Arcy: But first Ruth, we've really got to talk about the late Lord Prescott. John Prescott, deputy leader of the Labour Party under Tony Blair, deputy Prime Minister when Labour got into government in 1997, [00:01:00] right up to the end of Tony Blair's premiership again, and a figure who's significant in all sorts of different ways, not least that he's set a kind of template that could now be followed by Angela Rayner in this current Labour government, as the kind of, I don't know quite what you'd call it, interlocutor to Labour's working class base, perhaps.

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.

Apple

YouTube Podcasts

Spotify

More ways to subscribe

Parliament Matters homepage

Latest / Highlights

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What's coming up in Parliament this week? 18-22 November 2024

MPs will debate creating an independent Armed Forces Commissioner to support service members and their families. Five Cabinet Ministers and the Bank of England Governor are among those giving evidence to Select Committees. Peers will consider the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill in Grand Committee. MPs will consider the £2.26 billion Financial Assistance to Ukraine Bill, funded by frozen Russian assets. The House of Commons will also debate Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs).

Webinars / The Assisted Dying Bill: Making sense of the parliamentary process

The Assisted Dying Bill is a Private Member’s Bill (PMB). Although the legislative stages for PMBs are the same as for Government bills, the rules that apply are different, creating distinct procedural hurdles that PMBs must navigate. Join us for this online discussion to learn more from our panel of impartial experts about the parliamentary process affecting this Bill. 6:00pm - 7:15pm, Tuesday 26 November 2024 Online via Zoom (Tickets: £10)

News / The Assisted Dying Bill: Is more parliamentary time needed? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 55

Could one of the most consequential Private Members’ Bills in nearly fifty years - the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which seeks to legalise assisted dying - be stopped not due to its content but because MPs fear they won’t have time to scrutinise it properly?

News / The Official Opposition: how to be effective in Parliament - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 54

Following Kemi Badenoch’s election, this episode explores the challenges she faces as the new Leader of the Opposition. What does it take to build an effective Opposition? What strategic decisions, policy initiatives, and personnel choices must she navigate? What resources and procedural tools can she use to challenge the Government and build a compelling public profile? How does she balance party cohesion with presenting a credible alternative government and preparing for future elections?

News / Urgent Questions: Answering your questions about how Parliament works - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 52

In this episode, we discuss a variety of intriguing questions from listeners about the traditions and inner workings of Parliament. Topics include conduct in the Commons chamber, the practice of whipped votes, the origins of the Private Members' Bill ballot, and the unusual presence of ministers on select committees. We also discuss why MPs often refer to question numbers rather than asking questions directly in the Chamber, and consider the prospects for a future House of Lords committee dedicated to scrutinising EU-related issues affecting Northern Ireland.