This is a crucial time for our parliamentary democracy.
There is growing concern about the constitutional balance of power between Parliament and the executive, standards in public life and worrying levels of public cynicism about politics and politicians. There has never been a more important time to support the Society’s work.
By becoming a member, making a donation or simply subscribing to one of our shopping reward programmes, you can support our work to improve the way Parliament works and help us continue to deliver free events and projects to champion a more informed public debate about parliamentary democracy.
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Amid growing concern about the increase in executive power and the side-lining of Parliament, there has never been a more important time to support us in developing solutions to improve the way Parliament works and to champion more informed public debate about Parliament and parliamentary democracy.
Our members form a valuable network of people who care about Parliament, public life and politics and want our parliamentary institutions to prosper in the future.
The Hansard Society is enrolled on Give as you Live, a charity-focused platform that allows you to support our work at no extra cost when shopping online with thousands of UK retailers.
Give as you Live allows you to support your chosen charity when shopping online with over 5,000 participating UK retailers, including John Lewis & Partners and many more.
All you need to do is install Give as you Live's browser extension and every time you visit a participating retailer, you will be prompted to allow a small percentage of your purchase to be donated to the Hansard Society at no extra cost to you.
Support the Hansard Society with Give as you live:
Create an account on the Give as you Live website here and select the Hansard Society as your chosen charity.
Download and install the Give as you Live extension for your preferred desktop browser (below). After activating the extension, you will be prompted to make your purchase via Give As You Live when visiting a participating retailer.
Download and install the Give as you Live mobile app here to browse and search for participating retailers where you can shop and support the Hansard Society on the go.
Browse participating retailers and shop directly from the Give as you Live website here.
Frequently asked questions:
Will I incur any additional costs? No! It does not cost you a penny more to purchase goods via Give as you Live and the donation will be made by the retailer and not you.
How much does Give as you Live donate? Give as you Live are partnered with 5,500 stores as well as dozens of providers across insurance, energy and broadband, and the donation varies for each retailer. After you make a purchase through Give as you Live you will receive an email you to let you know how much has been raised for the Hansard Society.
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.
