Later today the Procedure Committee is hearing from a Conservative Shadow Minister and the Lib Dem Chief Whip on Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs). The Hansard Society submitted evidence to this inquiry – here’s what we found 🧵 www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications...

oh, because we have an uncodified but in many ways pretty effective constitution, hope that helps

NEW BRIEFING | The risks of consigning online safety law to delegated legislation Our latest briefing examines two late-stage government amendments, giving Ministers significant powers to reshape online safety legislation. 🔽 www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications...

Labour's Representation of the People Bill gets its first proper debate in the Commons today. Here's what's in it, via the Hansard Society

NEW EPISODE: What happens when you defy the party whip? Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan joins us to reflect on rebelling over Winter Fuel Allowance cuts, being suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party, and calling on Keir Starmer to resign. 🎙️Listen now - links in post below 👇

Had a fabulous time at the @studyofparl.bsky.social Oxford Weekend!! They say never meet your heroes but I did :p Can't wait for next time, fellow Parliament nerds!

Which civilians play the most important roles in controlling the armed forces? This Thursday, join @plagasse.bsky.social, Dominic Grieve and @profveronika.bsky.social to discuss Philippe Lagassé's new book, Overseen or Overlooked? Legislators, Armed Forces, and Democratic Accountability. Sign up 👇

In a world of rising instability, with ministers and military leaders warning of growing conflict risks, parliamentary oversight of the armed forces is more vital than ever. This event with international expert @plagasse.bsky.social will be interesting. Sign up 👇

If we can’t even talk in general terms about MPs’ workload- which MPs of all parties agree is v casework- heavy and getting heavier- without a lot of responses being to assume that MPs are not telling the truth/just whinging/ working on the wrong things etc- then I think we’re in a bad place

MONDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? 🕵️ Ministerial Statement on China spying case 🏥 General debate on baby loss 👮 Peers debate Border Security Bill 🏠 Housing Secretary faces questions from MPs Read more below 🔽 buff.ly/fKNzlVM

LATEST PODCAST | What are the Usual Channels? A short history of Westminster whipping We talk to @sebwhale.bsky.social about his new book, pulling back the curtain on one of Westminster's most notorious elements: the Whips. Listen below 🔽 buff.ly/phTKkve

1/ Concerns are rising in Westminster over the Chagos deal and the UK’s trade agreements with the US, EU & India. If we want better economic, trade and foreign-policy decisions, MPs need the tools – and the will – to hold government to account. 👇

BLOG | Treaty scrutiny: addressing the accountability gap In this guest blog, chair of @HLIntAgreements Lord Goldsmith KC outlines the Committee’s new report calling for stronger parliamentary oversight of treaties. Read the blog post below 🔽 www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/treaty-...

BLOG | What will happen at this Friday's assisted dying bill debate? With the Second Reading debate resuming this Friday, we explain the motions and amendments on which the House of Lords will vote, and how these may impact later stages. Read below 🔽 www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/assiste...

MONDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? 🟢 Employment Rights Bill (Lords amendments) 🔴 Planning and Infrastructure Bill (Committee) 🏫 Westminster Hall: Debate on SEND reform More detail below 🔽 buff.ly/0tKmK69

🚨 NEW BRIEFING: The assisted dying bill – The House of Lords legislative process We explain how the Lords will consider the Bill: ⚖️ Constitutional issues 🚫 Five ways peers could say no 🗓️ Timing & debates 📜 Each stage of the Bill Read more 🔽 buff.ly/pCjfzqN

Today the House of Commons will debate the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill. The Government will seek to reverse four amendments made to the Bill by the House of Lords. Read more about those amendments in our weekly Bulletin 🔽 buff.ly/aH4R8dQ

MONDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? 📣 Urgent Questions and Statements on Palestine and asylum policy 🚅 Debates on regional transport inequality and devolution in Scotland 🏠 Lords debate Planning and Infrastructure Bill Read more below🔽 buff.ly/yuHr4Vm

🧵1/ Something appears to have gone wrong with a new piece of legislation (and shows why even Government departments should be using our Statutory Instrument Tracker!) Here's what happened 👇

The Government appears to have made an affirmative SI - specifically, a legislative reform order requiring approval by both Houses - before it has been approved by the Commons. Maybe I'm missing something? www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/91...

Here, Nick and I take a wider lens on devolution: its history, underlying policies & principles to expand on our point in part 1 (share.google/reJPFVN4Uqp3...). The UKSC's concept of parliamentary power vis-à-vis devolved lawmaking is problematic, impractical & should be abandoned asap.

Disappointing to hear the Leader of the Commons rule out a review of parliamentary prayers. For a modern, diverse UK, our parliament should reflect all constituents, not a minority. Reform in the way of an inclusive secular ceremony desperately needed. humanists.uk/2025/07/03/l...

🧵 Thank you to @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social for highlighting our "informative" Parliament Matters Bulletin in the latest post for his Substack, A Lawyer Writes. We are glad it’s proving useful! Read this week's Bulletin here: buff.ly/0vYf1qq

I was interviewed on Today in Parliament on Radio 4 on Friday, discussing how the assisted dying bill might fare in the House of Lords. Listen here (around 7 mins in): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

New Publication with @leejarvis.bsky.social and @michaellister.bsky.social outlining the phenomenon that we have dubbed 'nominative laws'. The Article is available Open Access via the link below. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Excellent blogpost from @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social this morning (with credits to the Hansard Society's newsletter!). As he highlights, there are three interesting events in the Commons today, each of which will put the sovereignty of Parliament on display. rozenberg.substack.com/p/uncommon-law

MONDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? 🧑‍⚖️ Deprivation of Citizenship Orders Bill 🪖 E-petition debate on Northern Irelanr veterans 🏠 Deputy PM Angela Rayner faces oral questions 💼 Peers debate Employment Rights Bill Read more below🔽 buff.ly/T50EBUY

🎉 Parliament Matters podcast hits 100 episodes tomorrow! Across 100 episodes, we've heard insights from politicians, academics, historians, and others about the institution at the heart of our democracy: Parliament. Subscribe below to keep hearing more 🔽 buff.ly/HIjYCWm

OUT TOMORROW - One year on: How is Parliament performing? In our next episode, we look at where Parliament, the Government and the legislative programme stand after one year. Sign up to get it in your inbox tomorrow🔽 www.hansardsociety.org.uk/about/subscr...

🔽An interesting thread below from @conunitucl.bsky.social on proposals to limit the size of the House of Lords, which will be the subject of an amendment to the Hereditary Peers Bill put to peers this evening.

WEDNESDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? 📊 Universal Credit and Personal Independence Bill (Remaining Stages) 🔴 Hereditary Peers Bill (House of Lords, Report Stage) ❔ Prime Minister's Questions Read more 🔽 buff.ly/mxCc1Sd

🚨 The Hereditary Peers Bill will see its second and final day of Report Stage in the House of Lords today. Our weekly Bulletin looked at the significant amendments agreed so far, and which amendments are set to be debated next. Read the section below🔽 buff.ly/ciGh7dz

Today the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill is set to have its second day of report stage in the Lords. We will mainly be looking out for amendment 23, from Crossbencher Lord (Terry) Burns. This would cap the chamber's size at 650 and limit prime ministerial appointments. A thread 👇

'Parliamentarians should seize this opportunity now to implement a reform that has been decades (even centuries) in the making. I hope our poll offers them the confidence to do so.' Meg Russell writes for @uk.theconversation.com ahead of the hereditary peers bill being debated today. Read it 👇

In 1854, Lord John Russell broke down & wept at the despatch box, at the collapse of his Reform Bill. MPs were largely sympathetic, cheering until he'd recovered, & reports referred only obliquely to what had happened. I prefer that to some of the gloating & close-camera footage we're getting now.

MONDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? 🛂 MPs debate Deprivation of Citizenship Orders Bill 🌍 Peers debate UK-Mauritius Agreement on Chagos Islands 👮 Debate on new rules for prisoner recall Read more🔽 buff.ly/zL0c3vm

Fascinating new polling from the Constitution Unit on support for wider reform of the House of Lords. Will certainly inform Wednesday's debate, where Peers will consider amendments to the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill. Worth a read🔽

Very interesting polling from the Constitution Unit. 🔽 Overwhelming support for Lords reform, including for a reduction in the number of peers, independent limits on prime ministerial patronage, and the removal of the remaining hereditaries.

🚨 BRIEFING: Assisted dying bill - What will happen this Friday? This explainer clarifies details of the Bill's next day of debate, including: • What happened on the last day? • Which amendments can still be voted on, and when? • Will the House vote on Third Reading? buff.ly/BUfwNMJ

Published every Sunday, our Parliament Matters Bulletin offers an analysis of the parliamentary week ahead, including: 📔 Parliamentary procedure 📝 Legislation/amendments 🔊 Debates and motions 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Committee hearings Subscribe here 🔽 buff.ly/dotLFTE

TUESDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? 🚑 Questions to health and social care ministers ✌️ General debate on 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe 🏡 Lords debate Renters' Rights Bill in Committee Read more below 🔽 buff.ly/IkCtUew

🚨 PODCAST: Should Parliament roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump? With several MPs and Peers rallying to block a potential address by President Trump, we ask: who decides which leaders get to address Parliament and where? 🎧 Tune in now: buff.ly/CaNef4q

🚨 NEW: The assisted dying bill faces its next parliamentary hurdle on 16 May: Report Stage. In this episode, we discuss: • how amendments are selected, grouped and voted on; • how the debate is structured; and • the challenges the Bill might face. 🎧 Tune in now: buff.ly/Euj0A6B

WEDNESDAY:What's coming up in Parliament today? 🧑‍⚖️ Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill (Report Stage) 🇺🇲 Lib Dem MPs present bills to require parliamentary approval of free trade deals 🔋 Lords consider slavery & trafficking provisions for Great British Energy Bill buff.ly/cIGegwi

This afternoon, Liberal Democrat MP @richardfoordld.bsky.social will present a Ten Minute Rule Bill to require parliamentary approval of any UK-US trade agreement. What is a Ten Minute Rule Bill and how does it become law? Our guide explains 🔽 buff.ly/DHwcGBT

WEEKEND CATCH-UP: What happens when Parliament's 'silent' Chief Whip decides to speak? Simon Hart shares jaw-dropping stories in 'Ungovernable' and calls for an overhaul in how MPs are recruited. 🎙️ Tune in to our latest #WhippingYarn buff.ly/DYLn9uv

MONDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? ⚽ Football Governance Bill 🏠 Peers debate Renters' Rights Bill 🪖 Public Accounts Committee hearing on defence equipment 🐕 E-petition debate about animal testing buff.ly/XJAMlsY

The Parliament Matters Bulletin provides an analysis of the parliamentary week ahead, including: 📔 Details of parliamentary procedure 📝 Info on legislation and amendments 🔊 Debates & motions 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Committee hearings Read and subscribe below 🔽 buff.ly/k4H9ajh

Very interesting insights below! 1. Practice of augmenting the engagements question at PMQs with an opening statement rapidly developed under Blair. 2. Starmer has so far made an opening statement at every PMQs. 3. Starmer has started using the opening answer to make partisan/political remarks.

Parliament is being recalled tomorrow to pass legislation to protect British Steel. This will be the 34th time the House of Commons has been recalled and the 33rd time the House of Lords has been recalled since the current rules were introduced in 1947.