Events / Spaces

Holding regulators to account: Parliament and the Financial Services and Markets Bill

31 Aug 2022
Canary Wharf at dusk

If regulators gain new powers laid out in the Financial Services and Markets Bill, how can Parliament hold them to account? Listen to our research team discuss this and more on Twitter Spaces.

[Ended] 12pm, Wednesday 31 August

The Financial Services and Markets Bill is scheduled for its Second Reading on Wednesday 7 September. To help you understand the Bill's approach to delegated powers and Retained EU Law (REUL), the Hansard Society research team held a free Twitter Space covering a number of key questions, including:

  • What are the Government's proposals for modifying and revoking Retained EU Law relating to financial services?

  • How can Parliament hold financial services regulators to account given the new powers laid out in the Bill?

  • How does the Bill fit within the wider delegated legislation system?

News / Parliament Matters Bulletin: What’s coming up in Parliament this week? 12-16 January 2026

The result of the election for the next Lord Speaker will be announced. In the Commons, Government amendments addressing the “family farm tax” will be considered during Committee Stage of the Finance (No. 2) Bill. The Hillsborough Law is expected to complete its remaining stages in the Commons, and the Sentencing and the Diego Garcia Bills the same in the Lords. Peers will consider the assisted dying bill for a sixth day in Committee. MPs will debate an e-petition calling for a new general election, new towns, financial support during the pandemic, and the importance of the Arctic and High North. Select Committees will hear evidence from former OBR chair Richard Hughes on the UK’s fiscal framework, two Cabinet Ministers on AI and copyright, and the Housing and Courts Ministers on their responsibilities.

11 Jan 2026
Read more

News / Are UK elections under threat? A conversation with the chair of the Electoral Commission, John Pullinger - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 123

With the Government investigating allegations of foreign influence in British politics, we are joined by John Pullinger, Chair of the Electoral Commission, to take stock of the health and resilience of the UK’s electoral system. Our discussion ranges widely over the pressures facing elections and campaigning today, and what issues Parliament may need to grapple with in a future elections bill.

09 Jan 2026
Read more

News / Is being Prime Minister an impossible job? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 121

Why do UK Prime Ministers seem to burn out so quickly? We are joined by historian Robert Saunders to examine why the role has become so punishing in recent years. From Brexit and COVID to fractured parties, rigid governing conventions and relentless media scrutiny, the discussion explores what has gone wrong – and what kind of leadership and political culture might be needed to make the job survivable again.

23 Dec 2025
Read more

News / The King and Parliament: The relationship between politics and the royals - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 122

In this episode we are joined by author and former royal correspondent Valentine Low to explore the evolving relationship between Downing Street and the Palace and why it matters for Parliament. Drawing on his book Power and the Palace, we explore how royal influence has shifted from Queen Victoria’s overt political interventions to Elizabeth II’s studied neutrality. Along the way, we connect historical episodes – where monarchs helped shape diplomacy and constitutional outcomes – to today’s flashpoints, from the prorogation and dissolution of Parliament to referendums and royal finances and the looming constitutional headaches of future hung parliaments.

03 Jan 2026
Read more

News / Choosing a new Lord Speaker: Peers question candidates Lord Forsyth and Baroness Bull - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 120

In this exclusive episode we bring you the full recording of the official hustings for the next Lord Speaker, held in the House of Lords and chaired by Hansard Society director and podcast co-host Ruth Fox. Peers question candidates Lord Forsyth and Baroness Bull on impartiality, self-regulation, public trust, governance and security, and the looming decisions on restoration and renewal – offering a rare insight into how the House chooses its presiding officer and the challenges facing Parliament at a critical moment.

19 Dec 2025
Read more