PSA ParliamentsPlease note that this piece was originally published on the LSE Impact Blog on 19 October (available here), and has been re-published with permission from the Impact Blog and the author.
By Caroline Kenny
The impact case studies, submitted as part for the REF, tell an interesting story about how UK academia interacts with policy at a local, national and international level. Over 40 per cent of cases mentioned impact on policy as part of their narrative.
We are pleased to announce our planned panels for the Annual PSA Conference, to be held on 21-23 March 2016, in Brighton. At #psa16, we will have six panels, covering a range of parliamentary and legislative issues, as well as a lunch time event, covering research impact and its relationship to Parliament. Titles and authors are listed here, but may be subject to change. We will try to add further details as and when they become available.
Monday 2nd November, 1.15 – 6pm
Attlee Suite, Portcullis House
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), Parliamentary Outreach and Research Councils UK (RCUK) would like to invite you to an interactive event showcasing the ways that research has informed parliamentary processes.
By Mark Shephard
Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) attracts a high level of interest because it is the one procedure where the Prime Minister is expected to face questioning in the House of Commons by parliamentarians each week that parliament is sitting. However, it is often derided as an ineffective procedure. For example, in a 2015 radio interview Nick Clegg called it a ‘farce’ that should be ‘scrapped’ and research by the Hansard Society has revealed that large proportions of the public do not like the pantomime point-scoring of PMQs which is perceived to undermine the capacity for effective scrutiny and influence of the government. Even the current PM and the current leader of the largest opposition party don’t like the way it operates. When David Cameron became leader of the Conservative Party in 2005 he called for an end to point-scoring ‘Punch and Judy’ politics. When Jeremy Corbyn became leader of the Labour Party in 2015 he also wanted less theatre and called for more fact during the procedure.
By Gary Levy
The last four Parliaments, three minority and one majority, have convinced most Canadian parliamentary scholars that much damage has been done to the constitution. [1] One would think the 2015 election would be a time for parties to put forth ideas to improve what we still refer to as our Westminster model. So far this has not been the case and one wonders if there will be improvement, as opposed to change, after Canadians cast their ballots on October 19. This post look specifically at how issues of electoral reform, House of Commons reform and Senate reform have been treated in the campaign.
Please note that this piece was originally published on the Revolts blog (available here) and has been re-published with permission from the author.
By Philip Cowley
It now looks very likely that the Labour Party will give free votes to its MPs in the upcoming Commons votes on Trident renewal and possible air strikes in Syria.
The party is split on both issues, and in particular its new leadership is at odds with large numbers of MPs. Free votes are often granted when there are divisions like this within parties; splits are never as newsworthy when they take place on free votes. So the tactical reasons for having free votes are pretty obvious.
By Marc Geddes
What interests me in the study of Parliament is the way in which everyday life is so unpredictable, chaotic, reactive and consistently beset by challenges. Yet simultaneously, to the outside world at least, Parliament looks stable and ordered, static and unchanging.
**CALL FOR PAPERS AND PANELS**
Following on from our successful events and panels at this year’s PSA Conference, we hope to have an equally successful series of panels at the 2016 Annual Conference, which will be held in Brighton on 21st -23rd March 2016. The group should be able to run three or four panels at the conference.
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 Thursday 1st October 2015. We will then be in touch by 8th October to let you know if your paper has been successful.
If you would be interested in putting together a panel for the conference please complete a Panel Proposal Form by Thursday 1st October 2015. We will then be in touch by 8th October to let you know if your paper has been successful.
This call is open to all members of the group. Postgraduate students who wish to present would be eligible to apply to the PSA Postgraduate Access Fund for financial support to attend the conference.
Image: Michael Bamford CC BY-NC-ND
Please note that this blog piece was originally published on The Conversation on Wednesday, 29 July 2015, and is available here.
By Stephen Thornton
The Palace of Westminster – home to the British parliament – is rapidly heading towards an advanced stage of decrepitude. Unless “not inconsequential” sums of public money are used to refurbish the largely 19th century edifice, it has been warned, the MPs and Lords will shortly have to find a new place to work.
A debate is growing about whether the unfortunate state of the building has provided an opportunity to consider whether Parliament should be modernised for the 21st century. Ideas include moving the institution outside the capital – Hull in the north of England being one imaginative suggestion.
By the Lincoln Policy Group
The Lincoln Policy Group established a research project in 2014 that aims to develop understanding of how the parliamentary scrutiny process affects and is affected by the use of evidence and expertise. We considered the roles of contested values alongside evidence in influencing the quality of parliamentary scrutiny as well as legislative and policy outcomes. We have recently published a project report and this blog piece summarises our key preliminary findings.