Parliament Matters
By Hansard Society
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Subscribers: 30
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Episodes: 145
Description
Join two of the UK's leading parliamentary experts, Mark D'Arcy and Ruth Fox, as they guide you through the often mysterious ways our politicians do business and explore the running controversies about the way Parliament works. Each week they will analyse how laws are made and ministers held accountable by the people we send to Westminster. They will be debating the topical issues of the day, looking back at key historical events and discussing the latest research on democracy and Parliament. Why? Because whether it's the taxes you pay, or the laws you've got to obey... Parliament matters!
Mark D'Arcy was the BBC's parliamentary correspondent for two decades. Ruth Fox is the Director of the parliamentary think-tank the Hansard Society.
- ❓ Submit your questions on all things Parliament to Mark and Ruth via our website here: hansardsociety.org.uk/pm#qs
- 📱 Follow us across social media @HansardSociety and...
- ✅ Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates related to the Parliament Matters podcast and the wider work of the Hansard Society: hansardsociety.org.uk/nl.
Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust • Founding producer Luke Boga Mitchell; episode producer Richard Townsend.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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Labour’s leadership tangle: What does it mean for Parliament?
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May 15, 2026 |
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What now? The local election fallout hits Westminster
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May 09, 2026 |
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Keir Starmer’s week of parliamentary torture over Mandelson appointment
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Apr 24, 2026 |
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Dynamic alignment and Henry VIII powers: What will the Government’s EU reset mean for Parliament?
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Apr 17, 2026 |
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Will key Government bills pass by the end of the parliamentary Session?
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Mar 27, 2026 |
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Who really decides Immigration Rules: Parliament or the Home Secretary?
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Mar 20, 2026 |
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Jury trials under threat? The Courts and Tribunals Bill explained
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Mar 13, 2026 |
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Is the assisted dying bill being filibustered?
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Mar 10, 2026 |
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Starmer, Iran, and Parliament’s role in war powers
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Mar 06, 2026 |
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Mandelson, Andrew and Epstein: Should there be parliamentary committee of inquiry?
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Feb 28, 2026 |
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The forgotten pioneer: Who was Margaret Bondfield, Britain’s first female Cabinet Minister?
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Feb 20, 2026 |
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What happens when you lose the party whip?
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Feb 13, 2026 |
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A Humble Address: How MPs confronted the Mandelson scandal
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Feb 06, 2026 |
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Why MPs can’t just quit: The curious case of the Chiltern Hundreds
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Feb 01, 2026 |
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Assisted dying bill: How could the Parliament Act be used?
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Jan 30, 2026 |
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Should MPs Who Switch Parties Be Forced to Face a By-Election?
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Jan 23, 2026 |
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Who really sets MPs’ pay – And why you might be wrong about it
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Jan 21, 2026 |
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Kemi’s pre-emptive strike on Robert Jenrick
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Jan 16, 2026 |
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Growing the Greens: Parliament, polling and Zack Polanski
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Jan 14, 2026 |
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Are UK elections under threat?
|
Jan 09, 2026 |
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The King and Parliament: The relationship between politics and the royals
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Jan 03, 2026 |
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Is being Prime Minister an impossible job?
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Dec 23, 2025 |
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What's coming up over the Christmas/New Year recess
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Dec 22, 2025 |
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Choosing a new Lord Speaker
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Dec 19, 2025 |
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Where are the Reform UK peers?
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Dec 13, 2025 |
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2024: The year our party system finally broke?
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Dec 05, 2025 |
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101 resolutions and a Finance Bill. How the Budget becomes law
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Nov 28, 2025 |
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Is the House of Lords going slow on the assisted dying bill?
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Nov 22, 2025 |
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The assisted dying bill: A conversation with its sponsor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton
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Nov 14, 2025 |
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Do petitions work? Inside the Commons Committee that actually decides
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Nov 11, 2025 |
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Parliament, the Monarch & the birth of party politics — How did it happen?
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Nov 07, 2025 |
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Why did Nigel Farage’s Ten Minute Rule Bill fail?
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Oct 31, 2025 |
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Parliament vs. Prince Andrew
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Oct 24, 2025 |
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Parliament’s spying scandal: Why was the China case dropped?
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Oct 17, 2025 |
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Former Prime Ministers: The role of Parliament in life after No 10
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Oct 03, 2025 |
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What are the Usual Channels? A short history of Westminster whipping
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Sep 26, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill: Peers give the bill a Second Reading, but progress is paused for committee evidence
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Sep 19, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill: The bill makes its debut in the House of Lords
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Sep 13, 2025 |
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Is Parliament at the root of the country’s problems?
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Sep 05, 2025 |
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Prime Minister’s Questions: Westminster’s weekly gladiatorial combat
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Aug 29, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill: Understanding the legislative process in the House of Lords
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Aug 13, 2025 |
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The day the King marched on Parliament: King Charles I, five MPs and the road to civil war
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Aug 01, 2025 |
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Parliament gagged by super-injunction?
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Jul 18, 2025 |
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One year on: How is Parliament performing?
|
Jul 11, 2025 |
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Labour’s welfare meltdown
|
Jul 04, 2025 |
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What Westminster gets wrong about the NHS
|
Jun 27, 2025 |
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MPs back assisted dying bill in historic vote
|
Jun 21, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill: What happened at Report Stage - Day two
|
Jun 14, 2025 |
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Indefensible? How Government told Parliament about the Strategic Defence Review
|
Jun 06, 2025 |
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Will Parliament get its teeth into Keir Starmer's trade deals?
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May 23, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill: What happened at Report Stage - Day one
|
May 17, 2025 |
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Spooks, the Ombudsman and the Royal Albert Hall
|
May 14, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill – special series #11: A conversation with Kim Leadbeater MP
|
May 09, 2025 |
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Meet Parliament's human rights watchdog
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May 02, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill - special series #10: Understanding Report Stage
|
Apr 29, 2025 |
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Should Parliament roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump?
|
Apr 26, 2025 |
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Whipping Yarns: A Chief Whip's tale
|
Apr 11, 2025 |
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The sentencing guidelines row: A product of poor law-making?
|
Apr 04, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill - special series #9: Inside the Public Bill Committee
|
Mar 28, 2025 |
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Spring Statement: House of Commons tensions grow over the economy
|
Mar 28, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill - special series #8: Inside the Public Bill Committee
|
Mar 21, 2025 |
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Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement: The fallout at Westminster
|
Mar 21, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill - special series #7: Inside the Public Bill Committee
|
Mar 14, 2025 |
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Planning and infrastructure: Should Parliament take more control?
|
Mar 14, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill - special series #6: Lessons from New Zealand
|
Mar 07, 2025 |
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Net Zero and National Security: How can Parliament hold the Government to account?
|
Mar 07, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill - special series #5: Inside the Public Bill Committee
|
Feb 28, 2025 |
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International aid cuts: What is Parliament's role?
|
Feb 28, 2025 |
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Why is it so difficult to reform parliaments?
|
Feb 21, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill - special series #4: Inside the Public Bill Committee
|
Feb 14, 2025 |
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A WhatsApp purge in Parliament?
|
Feb 14, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill - special series #3: Understanding the amendment process
|
Feb 07, 2025 |
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Assisted dying bill - special series #2: How the Bill was drafted
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Jan 31, 2025 |
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Welfare cap breached by £8.6 billion: Do MPs care?
|
Jan 31, 2025 |
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A withering select committee takedown
|
Jan 24, 2025 |
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Assisted Dying Bill: Special Series #1
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Jan 24, 2025 |
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Should Parliament, rather than Ministers, oversee public inquiries?
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Jan 17, 2025 |
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The ‘Musk Factor’: Is the world's richest man driving Parliament's agenda?
|
Jan 10, 2025 |
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Whipping yarns: A rebel whip’s tale
|
Jan 06, 2025 |
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Whipping yarns: An SNP Whip’s tale
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Jan 03, 2025 |
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Whipping Yarns: A Liberal Democrat whip’s tale
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Dec 30, 2024 |
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Parliament’s role in a failed state
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Dec 23, 2024 |
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Will Parliament pay a price for promises to WASPI women?
|
Dec 20, 2024 |
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Licence to scrutinise: Spooks, hereditary peers and assisted dying
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Dec 13, 2024 |
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Football governance, fair elections, and fantasy reforms Parliament Matters goes live!
|
Dec 06, 2024 |
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How a British student has schooled the US Congress
|
Dec 03, 2024 |
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Assisted Dying Bill passes Second Reading: What next?
|
Nov 29, 2024 |
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What's the point of petitioning Parliament?
|
Nov 22, 2024 |
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The Assisted Dying Bill: Is More Parliamentary Time Needed?
|
Nov 15, 2024 |
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The Official Opposition: How to be effective in Parliament
|
Nov 12, 2024 |
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How will Donald Trump’s return reverberate in the UK Parliament?
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Nov 08, 2024 |
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Urgent Questions: Answering your questions about how Parliament works
|
Nov 06, 2024 |
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The Budget: Why aren’t MPs told first?
|
Nov 01, 2024 |
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Budget rules explained and parliamentary etiquette tips
|
Oct 25, 2024 |
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The end of hereditary peers in the House of Lords?
|
Oct 18, 2024 |
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Electing party leaders: who should decide?
|
Oct 11, 2024 |
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Select Committee chair elections: who won and can they work together?
|
Sep 13, 2024 |
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Inside the Private Members’ Bill ballot: 20 MPs win the legislative lottery
|
Sep 06, 2024 |
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Inside the hidden world of law-making.
|
Aug 16, 2024 |
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£22 billion financial 'black hole': What is Parliament's role?
|
Aug 02, 2024 |
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Labour tightens its grip on Parliament
|
Jul 27, 2024 |
|
What has Keir Starmer got in common with Robert Redford?
|
Jul 19, 2024 |
|
New arrivals, absent friends and time-honoured ceremonies
|
Jul 12, 2024 |
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Who will be the stars of the new Parliament?
|
Jul 07, 2024 |
|
Supermajority vs. micro-opposition: Parliament after the general election?
|
Jun 28, 2024 |
|
Will the parties reform Westminster?
|
Jun 21, 2024 |
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Democratic decision-making in health emergencies: Learning the lessons of the Covid pandemic
|
May 31, 2024 |
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General election called: What now for Parliament?
|
May 24, 2024 |
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Democracy is in danger, warns Theresa May
|
May 17, 2024 |
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Is the Conservative Party falling apart?
|
May 10, 2024 |
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Post Office Horizon scandal: what is Parliament doing about it?
|
May 03, 2024 |
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Is AI set to destroy trust in elections? Tackling misinformation in politics & Parliament
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Apr 30, 2024 |
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Rwanda Bill becomes law: but what was really going on behind the scenes in Parliament?
|
Apr 26, 2024 |
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Tobacco and Vapes Bill: free vote blows smoke in Rishi Sunak's eyes
|
Apr 18, 2024 |
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William Wragg's honeytrap crisis and is Speaker Hoyle under threat?
|
Apr 12, 2024 |
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Defending free speech from SLAPPs
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Mar 29, 2024 |
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Another Rwanda roadblock
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Mar 22, 2024 |
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Unheard: the parliamentary snubbing of Diane Abbott
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Mar 15, 2024 |
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The Budget: is the democratic deficit as bad as the financial deficit?
|
Mar 08, 2024 |
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The Foreign Affairs Committee: commentator or influencer?
|
Mar 04, 2024 |
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The Commons Speaker survives (for now), Liz Truss takes on the ‘Deep State’, plus how do we detoxify politics?
|
Mar 01, 2024 |
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The decline and fall of the political interview
|
Feb 27, 2024 |
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Commons chaos: Can the Speaker survive a monumental misjudgement?
|
Feb 23, 2024 |
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Urgent Questions: PMQs, whipping, Sinn Fein MPs, access to security passes, hospitality facilities in Parliament and much more!
|
Feb 16, 2024 |
|
Gaffes and grace at PMQs
|
Feb 09, 2024 |
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A potty-mouthed Parliament?
|
Feb 02, 2024 |
|
What if they gave a coup and nobody came? The Tory leadership soap opera continued
|
Jan 26, 2024 |
|
War powers, Rwanda ‘mayhem’ and Ian Dunt on the state of Westminster
|
Jan 19, 2024 |
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The inside story: Parliament and the Post Office Horizon scandal
|
Jan 12, 2024 |
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Election alert and the year ahead in Parliament: Why are so many election rules being changed?
|
Jan 05, 2024 |
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Parliament Matters Explains: How does Parliament make laws?
|
Jan 02, 2024 |
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Michael Crick & Tomorrow’s MPs: The latest news on parliamentary candidate selections
|
Dec 29, 2023 |
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Parliament Matters Explains: What do MPs actually do?
|
Dec 27, 2023 |
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Is Parliament a decaying organism? Lord Lisvane on our crumbling constitution
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Dec 22, 2023 |
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‘These guys like to be written about’: The art of parliamentary sketchwriting, with Rob Hutton
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Dec 18, 2023 |
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High drama or damp squib?… And what’s happening with pairing?
|
Dec 15, 2023 |
|
Westenders: The battle for the heart and soul of the Conservative Party
|
Dec 08, 2023 |
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Special feature: The genesis of PARLY, with Tony Grew
|
Dec 04, 2023 |
|
Legislative bodging: No way to run a chip shop!
|
Dec 01, 2023 |
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Parliament’s ‘Wastefinder General’ on the ‘Big Nasties’
|
Nov 24, 2023 |
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Total reshuffle, emergency legislation and Parliament’s ‘Golden Ticket’
|
Nov 17, 2023 |
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Urgent Questions #1
|
Nov 13, 2023 |
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All change on the Committee corridor and regulating the conduct and standards of MPs
|
Nov 12, 2023 |
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The King’s Speech, State Opening and the 1922 Committee
|
Nov 10, 2023 |
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Introducing: Parliament Matters - The Hansard Society's new podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy
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Nov 01, 2023 |