Month: August 2016

Categories
Events News

PSA Annual Conference 2017: Call for Papers!

The 2017 PSA Annual Conference will be held in Glasgow on 10th – 12th April 2017 and we hope to be able to put forward some specialist group panels for this.

If you would be interested in presenting an individual paper as part of our specialist group panel, please complete a Paper Proposal Form with an abstract of no more than 250 words by Friday 7th October 2016. If you would be interested in putting together a panel for the conference please complete a Panel Proposal Form by the same date. We will be in touch during the week of 10th October to let you know if your paper has been successful.

This call is open to all members of the group. There are, as yet, no panel themes so all pape and panel proposals are welcome. Postgraduate students are also encouraged to apply (particularly as there is no early career conference this year). Those who wish to present would be eligible to apply to the PSA Postgraduate Access Fund for financial support to attend the conference.

We had a really successful 2016 conference, with more papers and panels than we’ve ever had before. So we look forward to hearing from you!

For our Panel Proposal Form, please click here (opens Word Document).

For our Paper Proposal Form, please click here (opens Word Document).

Categories
Blog

Labour’s turmoil, the business of opposition and parliamentary democracy

By Jake Watts

Ralph Miliband’s Parliamentary Socialism celebrates its 55th anniversary this year. A key historical work, it examined the relationship between the Labour Party and the UK Parliament. From a Marxist perspective, it argued that the failure of the British Left to achieve radical strides towards unadulterated socialism could be in substantial part attributed to the acquiescence of the Labour Party to the rules and norms of the United Kingdom’s parliamentary democracy. In putting forth such an argument, Miliband struck at the heart of a debate about the relationship between Labour and Parliament that underpins the disunity that now threatens the party’s efficacy as Her Majesty’s Opposition.

Continue reading “Labour’s turmoil, the business of opposition and parliamentary democracy”
Categories
Blog

Reflections from the PSA/House of Commons Placement at the Petitions Committee

By Tom Caygill

Last year I was one of the lucky two applicants to be offered one of the PSA/House of Commons Committee Office placements. The placement was a great opportunity: to utilise the skills I use in my PhD in a different context, while developing new ones; to better understand the ethos of select committees; and to discuss my doctoral research with parliamentary staff, which has gone on to help shape my final research design.

Continue reading “Reflections from the PSA/House of Commons Placement at the Petitions Committee”
Categories
Blog

The Good Parliament: it is about more than breastfeeding and trans-toilets

By Sarah Childs

Lots of people have to plenty to say about what is wrong with the UK parliament. Many do so at some distance from the Palace of Westminster. The Good Parliament report, launched on 20 July, is the culmination of a year working intimately with members and with House officials: its 43 recommendations are guided by this experience and expertise and offer a ‘menu of reforms’ that when implemented would meet the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s gender sensitive parliament status. Indeed, the report goes beyond this approach in developing and setting out proposals to deliver a diversity sensitive parliament.

Continue reading “The Good Parliament: it is about more than breastfeeding and trans-toilets”