PSA Parliaments Specialist Group continues to go from strength to strength! Our #PSAParl25 Annual Conference on the 27th-28th November was a fantastic gathering of parliamentary scholars throughout the UK and beyond, with four fascinating panels and a highly successful Early Careers Researchers workshop.
Thanks to the efforts of our Events Officer, Grace Cooper, we were generously hosted by the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of York, with funding support from The White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership.
The King’s Manor in York also provided a spectacular setting for our presentations and discussions.
Please enjoy this selection of photos from our various panels and workshops!
Below, we have also kept the conference schedule and the topics and details of our various panellists.
Our convening committee thanks you for coming to the conference! We were also delighted to announce that Professor Richard Whitaker will be taking over from Professor Diana Stirbu as Co-Convener of the group at the PSA Conference next year. From left to right: Jack Liddall (Comms Officer); Ruxandra Serban (Co-Convener); Rick Whitaker (soon-to-be Co-Convener); Lauren Martin (Membership Officer); Grace Cooper (Events Officer); and Diana Stirbu (Co-Convener).
Pictured: Panellists on gender and representation; Grace Cooper presenting
Pictured: Panellists on knowledge and performance in parliaments; Dr Ewan Robertson presenting
Pictured: Charlie Feldman presenting on the legislative process and scrutiny panel
Pictured: Eliza Sinclair Kidd receiving her prize in the Undergraduate Essay competition, with her supervisor Dr Marc Geddes
Pictured: conference attendees enjoying York’s Thor’s tipi post-conference
CONFERENCE TIMINGS
| Date | Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, 27 November 2025 | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm | Early-Career Workshop | University of York, YO10 5DD (specific room TBC) |
| 6:00 – 7:30 pm | Drinks Reception | The House of the Trembling Madness, 14 Lendal, York, YO1 8AA | |
| 7:45 pm | Informal, Self-Sponsored Dinner | Marzano Italian Grill, Bridge House, Fossgate, York, YO1 9SY | |
| Friday, 28 November 2025 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Conference | The Huntingdon Room (K/122), Kings Manor, University of York, YO1 7EP |
SCHEDULE FOR 28TH NOVEMBER
| Time | Activity |
| 09:00 – 09:10 | Arrival & Networking |
| 09:10 – 10:30 | Panel 1 |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | Morning Break |
| 10:45 – 12:05 | Panel 2 |
| 12:05 – 12:15 | UG Essay Competition Prize Winners Announcement |
| 12:15 – 13:00 | Lunch Break |
| 13:00 – 14:20 | Panel 3 |
| 14:20 – 14:35 | Afternoon Break |
| 14:35 – 15:55 | Panel 4 |
| 15:55 – 16:00 | Closing Remarks |
PANEL DETAILS
Panel 1: Gender and representation 9:10 – 10:30
Chair: Diana Stirbu
Erven Lauw: The symbolic effect of women in politics on trust in parliament: A multilevel panel study
Sanwal Hussain: Reserved gender quota in the parliament: Evidence from Pakistan
Grace Cooper: Networked representation: Understanding the processes of political advocacy for refugees in the UK select committee system
Ekaterina Kolpinskaya: Same building, different houses: How environment, practices and expectations shape disability inclusion of MPs and peers
Panel 2: Historical and procedural perspectives 10:45 – 12:05
Chair: Ruxandra Serban
James Strong: Parliaments make war and war makes parliaments: The case of the United Kingdom
Tom Fleming: Understanding procedure committees in the UK House of Commons, 1854–2024
Nimako Kuffour Anning: The use and essence of the dispatch box in parliamentary chambers: Historical and procedural perspectives from Commonwealth legislatures
Hoi Yu Ng: The impact of live broadcast on parliamentary speeches in autocracy: The case of Singapore
Panel 3: Legislative processes and scrutiny 13:00 – 14:20
Chair: Richard Whitaker
Charlie Feldman: Senate public bills in Canada: What goes up must bring something down?
Lisa James: Conservative governments and the House of Lords: Policy conflict and compromise, 2010–24
Kubra Aslan: Legislative duration and opposition obstruction under democratic backsliding: Evidence from Turkey, 2002–2018
Methmini Wijesinghe: Unpacking executive dominance in the legislative process: Exploring the role of legislative scrutiny in upholding democratic governance in Sri Lanka
Jack Liddall: Parliamentary scrutiny of intergovernmental relations: A case study of agriculture and fisheries policy
Panel 4: Knowledge and legislative performance in parliaments 14:35 – 15:55
Chair: Lauren Martin
Marc Geddes: Parliaments and the role of knowledge: A critical review
Ewan Robertson: Who is heard in parliamentary policy debates? A study of stakeholder patterns in the committees of the Spanish and Catalan legislatures
Naomi Gibson: Frontstage and backstage: Theatricality and visibility in the House of Commons
Julien Navarro: Who responds to parliamentary performance? Voter characteristics and the electoral payoff of parliamentary work in France