Support the Hansard Society's 80th Anniversary Appeal

Support

80th Anniversary Appeal: support our work to make Parliament more effective

The Hansard Society was founded on 2 August 1944 by MP Stephen King-Hall with initial financial support from Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. The Society was established to spark interest in and spread knowledge about the proceedings of Parliament. Our founders believed that a deeper understanding of Parliament was crucial if the institution was to be protected for future generations and made more effective. Our name was inspired by their view that making Hansard – the record of parliamentary debates – more accessible would be a public service.

Donate to our 80th Anniversary Appeal

Eight decades of achievement

Over the last 80 years we have proudly served as Parliament’s constructive “critical friend”. For example, it was the Society that:

organised the first ever parliamentary tours and educational programmes, leading Parliament to create its own education service;
pioneered online public consultations for Select Committees;
hosted the first public hustings for the election of the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker
proposed that the Prime Minister should be regularly questioned by a Select Committee, and all select committees should adopt a set of core tasks to better hold the government to account;
highlighted the lack of proper induction of MPs through our Year in the Life: From ember of public to Member of Parliament research, prompting greater co-operation between the political parties and parliamentary authorities to provide a better welcome to Westminster for new MPs;
brokered a solution between the Leader of the House of Commons and the Backbench Business Committee that paved the way for what is now the most popular parliamentary e-petitions system anywhere in the world.

A domestic focus with international influence

While our principal focus has always been Westminster, our expertise has been sought globally:

Post-war Germany: at the behest of the British Military Governor and Commander-in-Chief in Germany, we organised educational visits for German politicians prior to the first Bundestag election in 1949, to learn about the role Parliament plays in our national life.
South Africa: we supported the transition to democracy following the 1994 general election, providing advice and training to new members of the South African Parliament.
Eastern Europe: in the late 1990s we supported parliamentarians and journalists in newly independent eastern Europe, including Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada.
Hansard Scholars Programme: between 1986 and 2020, we promoted international understanding of parliamentary democracy by hosting over 1,500 undergraduate and 200 postgraduate “future leaders” from more than 60 countries. Alumni include a former Democratic Governor of Montana and the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh.

Our recent impact

Our mission remains crucial today:

Research that makes a difference: our work on delegated legislation was used in the 2019 Supreme Court prorogation case and more recently was cited in the judgment in June quashing the law lowering the threshold on public protests.
Thought leadership: our journal, Parliamentary Affairs, has published cutting-edge research on representative democracy for over 75 years.
Civic education: we supported 43,000 students and their teachers in running Mock Elections in schools during the recent general election campaign. We’ve run Mock Elections at every UK general election for over 50 years, making it one of the oldest civic education projects anywhere in the world.
Public engagement: over 3 million people viewed our social media posts explaining how Parliament gets back to work after the recent general election (July 2024).

Support our mission

Funding the Hansard Society’s work is a continuous challenge. We do not have a wealthy benefactor or an endowment. As an independent charity we rely on donations from supporters – including on several previous landmark birthdays from Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – to maintain our independence and continue our vital work.

If you value our efforts, please consider marking our 80th birthday with a donation to our Anniversary Appeal. Thank you.

Donate to our 80th Anniversary Appeal

Our work to make Parliament more effective is focused on practical remedies

Acts of Parliament in the Parliamentary Archives, Houses of Parliament, Westminster. (© UK Parliament / Parliamentary Archives)

Improve the way we make laws and regulations

We have crafted a cross party solution to tackle a pressing constitutional problem: the growth in government by diktat fuelled by excessive dependence on delegated legislation, the problems with which were illustrated so starkly during Brexit and the pandemic. Our plan would introduce more robust scrutiny procedures to address the democratic deficit and stop Parliament being reduced to a legislative rubber-stamp.

Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, 18 October 2023. ©UK Parliament / Andy Bailey

Support the next generation of MPs after the general election

We are developing a programme of support to better prepare the next generation of MPs to perform their core function as legislators and scrutineers. The House of Commons is a complex institution: MPs need practical and procedural advice and resources, particularly in the early months after the election, to enable them to make the most of their knowledge and skills on behalf of their constituents and the country.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, at Prime Minister's Questions, 13 December 2023. ©UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED]

Transform the language and rules of the House of Commons

We are conducting a review of the Standing Orders, customs and practices of the House of Commons. Since 1945, the government-controlled Standing Orders have been systematically reviewed only six times. This initiative is designed to demystify the way the House of Commons works so that parliamentary procedures and processes are easier to communicate, understand and engage with for both MPs and the public.

Join us and step up for parliamentary reform

Follow in the footsteps of our first members, Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee, and join a community of like-minded people across the country who think we need a more effective Parliament.

Apply now

From top: Stephen King-Hall (founder), Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee (founding members). (© National Portrait Gallery, London (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0))

Latest / Highlights

News / Select Committee chair elections: who won and can they work together? - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 47

In this episode, we explore the outcomes and implications of the latest Select Committee Chair elections in Parliament. The newly elected chairs will play a pivotal role in scrutinising the government, but can they effectively work together? We talk to Dr. Marc Geddes, a leading expert on Select Committees, who highlights how this year’s competitive elections compare to previous parliaments and what that could mean for committee dynamics in the future.

Events / The inaugural Churchill-Attlee Democracy Lecture, given by the Rt Hon Theresa May MP

To mark the Hansard Society’s 80th anniversary, we have launched the Churchill-Attlee Democracy Lecture in honour of our first members, Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. The inaugural lecture was given by former Prime Minister the Rt Hon Theresa May MP on 14 May 2024. All proceeds from ticket sales went to our 80th Anniversary Appeal. See below for a video recording and transcript of the event.

Blog / MPs and the parliamentary oath of allegiance: A shibboleth under scrutiny?

Before taking their seats, Members of Parliament must legally swear an oath or make an affirmation of allegiance to the Crown. For some MPs this can be uncomfortable, creating a conflict between personal beliefs and legal obligations. Some MPs find themselves compelled to express sentiments they do not genuinely hold, or risk their constituents being deprived of representation. Unlike oaths taken by other office holders, the parliamentary oath does not address public expectations of MPs, nor does it guide MPs in understanding their duties. It has become a symbolic formality, a shibboleth, that could be usefully reformed.

News / Inside the Private Members' Bill Ballot: 20 MPs win the legislative lottery - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 46

The Private Members’ Bill (PMB) ballot for this Session has been drawn, giving 20 MPs the opportunity to introduce a law of their choice. Potential bills could include proposals such as assisted dying, but what are the real chances of success? We talk to PMB expert, Dr. Daniel Gover, to understand the value of these bills and what to watch out for in the coming months.

News / Inside the hidden world of law-making: A conversation with Nikki da Costa - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 45

How is a King’s Speech crafted? What really happens behind the doors of the Parliamentary Business and Legislation Cabinet Committee? How have parliamentary tactics on legislation evolved and what new tactics might MPs employ when facing a Government with such a commanding majority? In this episode we discuss the art and strategy of law-making with Nikki da Costa, former Director of Legislative Affairs for two Conservative Prime Ministers in 10 Downing Street.