Lord Speaker's Competition - Winners Announced!

The winners of the 2008 Lord Speakers’ schools competition have attended the winners’ day at the House of Lords and presented their findings to a special sitting of the House of Lords Science and Technology Sub-committee on Waste Reduction.

The competition, run in partnership with the Hansard Society's Citizenship Education Programme, asked young people to submit their ideas on how to reduce the amount of waste the UK produces. Over 87 teams of young people submitted their ideas in the form of short films, animations, collages, essays, research papers and presentations.

While the winners presented their findings in person, every entrant to the competition will have their voice heard by the Sub-Committee as a report compiling the entries has been submitted to Lord O’Neill for response.

Political blogging - just for the Opposition?

A recent article in the Guardian reported that New Statesman co-owner Mike Danson has invested in LabourHome. His aim is to mobilise grass roots activism on the left which, until now, has not managed to gain the kind of online traction that popular rightwing/anti-establishment blogs such as Iain Dale, ConservativeHome and Guido Fawkes have achieved.

It would appear to be a lot easier to run a successful blog in opposition than when your party is in government. It is harder still when your party is an unpopular government. Talking up those in power doesn’t seem to be a successful recipe to attract readers, viewers or listeners. If the blog is a tool most successfully used in opposition then it will be interesting to see what impact the injection of new capital, resources and energy into LabourHome has on its popularity and reach.

Become a Hansard Society Scotland Research Scholar!

The Hansard Society/ University of Edinburgh Research Scholars Programme offers an outstanding opportunity for postgraduate students and professionals to develop applied knowledge of structures of government and policy processes in the UK, with a particular emphasis on Scotland, and gain invaluable experience at the heart of the British political system. If you’re interested in doing a unique political internship in Edinburgh and studying British politics at its world famous University, there’s still time to apply for Autumn 2008.

Law in the Making: a new publication by the Hansard Society

Parliamentary scrutiny does make a difference to legislation: new Hansard Society research challenges conventional view of Parliament’s effectiveness

A new publication from the Hansard Society, Law in the Making: Influence and Change in the Legislative Process, analyses the influences and elements that come together to make an act of Parliament and concludes that the widely-held view of Parliament as a ‘rubber stamp’ for government legislation bears little resemblance to reality.

The research draws upon the findings from five detailed case studies and over 80 exclusive interviews with ministers, MPs, peers, government and parliamentary officials and pressure groups.

Still time to apply for the Autumn 08 Hansard Scholars Programmes!

If you’re interested in doing a unique political internship in Westminster and studying British politics at the London School of Economics, you will certainly be interested in the Autumn 2008 Hansard Scholars Programme. 2008 really will be a fascinating time to be involved in British politics and you can be a part of this – witnessing the changes, conflicts and developments first hand as they emerge.