Our Annual General Meeting updated Members on the work of the Society and provided a look ahead to our future plans. Our special guest speaker was Hansard Society member Sir Peter Riddell, former political editor and chief political commentator at The Times and author of numerous books about Parliament and politics.
Sir Peter joined us to discuss the general election campaign and the challenges facing the new Parliament.
6:00-7:30pm, 12 June 2024
This is a Members-only hybrid event: in person at our base in Westminster, and on Zoom.
The agenda and associated papers for the meeting will be sent direct to Members in advance of the meeting. Our Annual Report and Accounts are available online.
Approval of the minutes of the last Annual General Meeting
Report of the Directors and financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2022
Re-appointment of Independent Examiners
Re-appointment of Trustees
Reflections on the last year and future plans: update by the Rt Hon the Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Chair) and Dr Ruth Fox (Director) followed by Q & A.
Any other business
With the general election taking place on 4 July 2024, Sir Peter will be looking at the election campaign and the challenges which are set to face new and returning Members of Parliament. With the possibility of a sudden great change in the composition of the House of Commons, we will consider what can be learnt from the past and what opportunities now exist for progress.
The Rt Hon Sir Peter Riddell CBE is the former Political Editor and Chief Political Commentator at The Times and the author of twelve books on politics, Parliament and political careers. He served as Chair of the Hansard Society from 2007-2012 and then as Director of the Institute for Government until 2016. He was subsequently appointed as the Commissioner for Public Appointments until he stepped down in Autumn 2021. He has always had close links with the academic world and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a recipient of the British Academy President’s Medal.
In our latest ‘Whipping Yarn’, we talk with Simon Hart, former Conservative Chief Whip during Rishi Sunak’s Premiership. Hart opens up about his time in one of Westminster’s most demanding and discreet roles, chronicled in his new book, ‘Ungovernable: The Political Diaries of a Chief Whip’.
If a crisis or major national event occurs during a period when Parliament is adjourned, there are often demands from MPs, the media and the public for Parliament to be ‘recalled’. But the House of Commons Standing Orders stipulate that only Government Ministers - in reality, the Prime Minister - can ask the Speaker to recall the House. In recent years the House of Lords has generally been recalled at the same time as the House of Commons.
In response to the Modernisation Committee's call for views on 17 October 2024, we submitted evidence outlining key areas we believe the Committee should prioritise. Our submission recommended a focus on: strengthening legislative scrutiny, with particular emphasis on reforming the delegated legislation system; enhancing financial scrutiny, especially in relation to the Budget and the Estimates; addressing strategic gaps in parliamentary scrutiny; making more effective use of parliamentary time; and reviewing the Standing Orders, language and rituals of the House of Commons.
This briefing explains what to watch for during the Second Reading debate of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 29 November. It outlines the procedural and legislative issues that will come into play: the role of the Chair in managing the debate and how procedures such as the 'closure' and 'reasoned amendments' work. It looks ahead to the Committee and Report stage procedures that will apply if the Bill progresses beyond Second Reading. It also examines the government's responsibilities, such as providing a money resolution for the Bill and preparing an Impact Assessment, while addressing broader concerns about the adequacy of Private Members’ Bill procedures for scrutinising controversial issues.
In this ninth instalment of our special mini-podcast series, we continue to explore the latest developments in the progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, often referred to as the assisted dying bill. We are joined by Dr Marie Tidball MP to discuss the amendments she has secured for a Disability Advisory Board and an independent advocate for people with learning disabilities.
