Hansard Society eNewsletter - June 2008
Hansard Society News
Budget evidence to be given to Scottish Committee
2008: Women and the Vote Campaign
Events
Referendums: What are they good for?
Hansard Society News
Budget evidence to be given to Scottish Committee
Alex Brazier, Director of the Hansard Society's Parliament and
Government Programme, will be giving evidence to the Finance
Committee's review of the parliamentary budget process in the Scottish
Parliament on Tuesday June 17 2008. Alex co-authored the publication The Fiscal Maze (July
2006), which looked at the ways in which Parliament holds Government to
account on the raising and spending of public money. He will be
discussing with the Finance Committee, the report's recommendations,
and whether any parrallels can be drawn between budgetary processes in
Westminster and the Scottish Parliament.
2008: Women and the Vote Campaign
2008
marks 90 years since the Representation of the People Act gave women
the right to vote and 80 years since women won equal voting rights with
men. The 2008: Women and the Vote campaign is an alliance between a
number of organisations - including the Hansard Society - that are
celebrating women's achievements over this time and also highlighting
the gulf in political representation between men and women that still
exists. This lack of political equality is shown by the fact that in
the 90 years since women gained the vote there have only been 291 women
MPs out of a wapping total of 4654! If you think this is unacceptable
in 2008 sign up to the campaign
and encourage your MP or MEP to do the same. The alliance will be
holding events to mark this anniversary throughout the whole of 2008 so
watch this space....
Events
Referendums: What are they good for?
Tuesday 17 June, 6.45 - 7.45pm, House of Commons
Speakers:
Dr David Butler, Oxford University
David Curry MP
Chris Huhne MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
Steve Richards, The Independent
Rt Hon Clare Short MP
Chair - Virginia Gibbons, Hansard Society
This meeting will discuss the highly topical issue of the role of
referendums in the British political system. Can they be used in a
representative Parliamentary democracy without usurping the power of
our elected representatives? What issues are appropriate to be put to a
referendum? How can we ensure that referendum outcomes are not skewed
by political or financial resources? To register click here.
Until next time......
Beccy Allen
Events and Communications Coordinator