Support

Launch of 'Britain Votes 2017'

20 Mar 2018
Britain Votes 2017 cover image

On 20 March, Professor Sir John Curtice and a panel of leading commentators outlined their findings at the launch of the first major study of the 2017 general election, 'Britain Votes 2017'.

The general election was one of the most extraordinary contests of recent times. Widespread assumptions that it would be a one-sided election - a coronation rather than a contest - were confounded as Theresa May mislaid her majority and a hung Parliament emerged.

  • How did the Conservatives achieve the largest share of the vote by any party since the landslide election in 1997 but still not secure a majority?

  • Is any party likely to secure an overall majority in the future or are narrow or non-existent parliamentary majorities to become the norm not the exception?

  • Why was Labour’s left-wing manifesto not the ‘suicide note’ that most commentators anticipated?

  • In many respects it was a novel election campaign, but what made the difference? Was it the ability to deploy activists on the doorstep, provide favourable visuals of packed rallies for traditional media, or innovations in digital campaigning?

Join leading analysts and commentators to discuss these questions and more as they present the latest findings from their research on the dramatic election and assess what it all means for the future of British politics.

Copies of 'Britain Votes 2017' will be available for purchase at a special launch offer price. The event will be followed by a reception with drinks and light refreshments.

Chair: Carolyn QuinnBBC radio presenter across a range of political and current affairs programmes including Westminster Hour and PM

Professor Sir John CurticeProfessor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde and Chief Commentator at What UK Thinks: EU

Professor Tim BaleProfessor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London and Deputy Director of the Mile End Institute

Dr Kate DommettLecturer in the Public Understanding of Politics at the University of Sheffield

Dr Eunice GoesAssociate Professor of Politics at Richmond University and BBC Dateline London panelist

Professor Jonathan TongeCo-editor of 'Britain Votes 2017' and Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool

'Britain Votes 2017' is a special edition of the Hansard Society's journal, Parliamentary Affairs. It has been co-edited by Professor Jon Tonge, Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira and Dr Stuart Wilks-Heeg and is published in partnership with Oxford University Press.

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 23-27 March 2026

The Prime Minister will face questions from the Liaison Committee, comprising Select Committee chairs. The Conservatives will choose the topic for Tuesday’s Opposition Day debate, while the Home Secretary and the Energy and Transport Secretaries will take oral questions from MPs. The Commons will consider Lords amendments to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, National Insurance Bill, and Victims and Courts Bill, and will continue Committee Stage scrutiny of elections legislation. In the Lords, the Pension Schemes and the Crime and Policing Bills will complete their final stages, while Peers continue scrutiny of the English Devolution Bill. MPs will also debate an e-petition on the puberty blockers trial. Select Committees will focus on child poverty, dynamic alignment, the Defence Investment Plan, energy resilience, national resilience, and Royal Mail service delivery.

22 Mar 2026
Read more

News / Who really decides Immigration Rules: Parliament or the Home Secretary? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 137

Who really controls immigration law when Ministers can rewrite key rules with minimal parliamentary scrutiny? Jonathan Featonby of the Refugee Council explains the Home Secretary’s far-reaching powers over Immigration Rules. We also discuss the Crime and Policing Bill, where amendments on AI and abortion highlight the challenges posed by rushed law-making and executive overreach. And we look ahead to the next phase of the assisted dying debate, as supporters in the House of Commons prepare for a renewed legislative push in the next parliamentary Session. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

20 Mar 2026
Read more

News / Jury trials under threat? The Courts and Tribunals Bill explained - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 136

Plans to restrict the right to a jury trial have cleared their Second Reading in the Commons, but the proposals in the Courts and Tribunals Bill face growing resistance, including from Labour rebels. We discuss the legal and constitutional implications with barrister Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, examining what the reforms could mean for defendants’ rights and the criminal courts system. We also assess the passage of legislation removing hereditary Peers from Parliament, and the late compromise that eased opposition in the House of Lords. Meanwhile Sir Lindsay Hoyle clashes with the Chief Whip over delays in the division lobby, and newly released papers on Peter Mandelson’s Washington appointment raise fresh political questions. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

13 Mar 2026
Read more

Briefings / Last-minute powers and limited scrutiny: Parliament and the risks of consigning online safety law to delegated legislation

Two late-stage government amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would grant Ministers significant powers to reshape key parts of the Online Safety Act through delegated legislation. While the policy goals may attract support, the method raises serious constitutional concerns about parliamentary scrutiny and accountability. Using these amendments as a case study, this briefing explores the risks of relying on regulations to make policy and explains how the Hansard Society’s proposed reforms to the delegated legislation scrutiny system could better balance governmental flexibility with democratic oversight.

09 Mar 2026
Read more

News / Is the assisted dying bill being filibustered? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 135

Debate over the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has been so slow in the House of Lords that opponents of the Bill are accused of deliberately running down the clock. Conservative Peer Lord Harper rejects claims of filibustering, arguing that Peers are undertaking necessary scrutiny of a flawed and complex bill. He contends the legislation lacks adequate safeguards and was unsuited to the Private Member’s Bill process and discusses whether MPs might attempt to revive it in a future parliamentary Session. Listen and subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Acast · YouTube · Other apps · RSS

10 Mar 2026
Read more