Hansard Society eNewsletter - March 2008

Hansard Society News
Lords of the Blog
Last week the House of Lords took its first step into the world of blogging, creating a wave of interest from political and non-political bloggers alike. The Hansard Society and the House of Lords authorities set up the experimental blog to help peers engage directly with the public and give more information to a wider audience about what their work at the Palace of Westminster involves. The blog, which will be evaluated after six months by the Hansard Society, is now in the hands of the peers who will write and moderate all blog posts. To date, the site has had over 12,000 visitors and almost 200 comments - with the peers involved posting daily. Topics discussed so far have included: parliamentary outreach, electoral reform, Easter, Tibet, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill and, of course, the do's and don'ts of blogging!
Click here to visit Lords of the Blog.

New Publications
The Audit of Political Engagement 5
The Audit of Political Engagement series is the Hansard Society's annual political check-up of the nation's health. It includes original poll data from surveys conducted by Ipsos MORI, which allow yearly comparisons to be made about the British public's attitude to politics and their level of engagement with the political system. The fifth Audit includes a special section on constitutional issues that questions the public's knowledge about how our constitutional arrangements operate, which areas they are satisfied with and which they think are ripe for reform.
Click here to order or download your free copy.

No Overall Control? The impact of a 'hung parliament' on British politics
There has been increasing speculation that the next UK general election might produce a parliament in which no single party holds a majority of seats - a ‘hung parliament'. This edited collection of essays from distinguished commentators, academics and parliamentarians discusses the implications of a hung parliament from those with first hand experience of power sharing. It features a wide range of views on the subject and includes examples, both international and from the devolved UK institutions, of what happens when no single party has an overall majority.
Click here to order a copy.

Teachers and Young People
HeadsUp
Human Rights or Poverty? Should the UK only trade, send aid or money to countries with a good human rights record?
The next HeadsUp debate runs from 14 April - 2 May 2008 and will encourage under-18s to debate issues around human rights, poverty and international development. The following key questions will be posed in the debate:

- Does Britain interfere too much? Does Britain spend too much in overseas aid? Does aid work?
- What's changed since Drop the Debt or Live8? Should countries or sportspeople boycott the Beijing Olympics over China's human rights record?
- What's changed since Drop the Debt or Live8? Should countries or sportspeople boycott the Beijing Olympics over China's human rights record?
- What about playing against the Zimbabwean cricket team given Robert Mugabe's oppressive regime?
- Is the EU the right place to produce trade sanctions against oppressive regimes? Can sanctions be negative?

This debate offers the chance for young people to share their views and ideas on human rights with key decision makers and each other. It's an opportunity to set the record straight, get their voices heard and tell the politicians what they really think. Click here to visit the HeadsUp website.

What a Waste! The Lord Speaker's Competition for Young People
Schools across the UK have been registering for a new Hansard Society competition sponsored by the Lord Speaker, Baroness Hayman, and supported by Parliament's Education Service. The competition is for under-18s on the subject of how we can reduce waste - the main prize is winning £100 for your team. A House of Lords committee has been examining all aspects of waste reduction and is joining forces with the Hansard Society to encourage young people to present their views on waste and recycling - by video, audio or written submissions. Groups of young people in Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 can submit their ideas about waste reduction and improve their level of political literacy at the same time. As well as a cash prize, winning groups will visit the House of Lords to make a presentation to members of the Science and Technology Committee and receive feedback. The deadline for submissions is 28 April 2008 and all entrants will receive a certificate. Entry details, competition rules, background information and lesson plans for teachers are all provided online.
Click here to visit the competition website.

Until next time.....

Beccy Allen, Events and Communications Coordinator