PSA ParliamentsIs the psychological strain on MPs not only damaging to their health, but also threatening the health of our democracy? Dr James Weinberg discusses new research, with colleagues from political science and psychology, into the pressures on mental health and wellbeing that accompany political office
In a new blog from our Making Sense of Parliaments conference, Lawrence McKay investigates the effects of how MPs communicate on constituents’ awareness of their MPs.
Since payments for MPs were introduced early in the 20th century, the rhetoric used to justify them has changed markedly. Initially, writes Nicholas Dickinson, on a blog originally posted by Democratic Audit, any remuneration was almost always construed in terms of broadening democratic representation. Related to a landmark 1971 report, however, MPs increasingly began to be depicted as political professionals. This change in framing allowed salaries to increase, but at the cost of lasting public ambivalence.
Party whips are well-known for their role as enforcers in the Westminster Parliament, but a new blog by Andrew Defty, University of Lincoln, discusses a less well-known part of their role: offering pastoral care to MPs.
In a blog originally posted by the Hansard Society, James Pow discusses how in Canada, the ‘professional politician’ remains the exception rather than the rule, and MPs with prior political experience don’t have an advantage in the development of their parliamentary careers.
Drawing on interviews conducted with British politicians, Dame Jane Roberts explains the different impacts of leaving political office. In a blog originally posted on LSE British Politics and Policy, she writes that the process is often made unnecessarily harsh, something that may be preventing some politicians from standing down altogether, with implications for representative democracy.
How does the strict enforcement of party discipline affect deliberations in a legislature? Udit Bhatia, University of Oxford, considers this in a new blog based on his article for the Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy.
How easy will it be for the Prime Minister to pass Brexit legislation through Parliament without a majority in either House? Prof Philip Cowley explores the prospects of rebellion among Conservative MPs, in a blog originally posted by UK in a Changing Europe.
How do MPs in Bangladesh build and maintain support within their constituencies? Dr Zahir Ahmed discusses fieldwork with MPs in rural Bangladesh.
Popular debates focus on the political class, usually its alleged careerism and self-interest. In a post originally posted on the LSE British Politics and Policy blog, and providing an update on his research on the personal side of politics, James Weinberg deconstructs the term “political class” and presents some of his findings on the personal values of those who make it up.