Expenses and Empowerment 2010-2015? Where Does Parliament Stand Now?

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED - Date to be confirmed

Five years after the expenses scandal and a series of reforms ,what has changed? An afternoon mini conference hosted by Birkbeck’s Centre for the Study of British Politics and Public Life will explore to what extent Parliament has changed and what this might mean for the post-2015 Parliament.

Two panels will consider (1) the impact of the subsequent attempts at procedural reform of parliament and (2) changing attitudes of and toward the roles of MPs.

Reform of procedures: Stronger or half-reformed?

In Parliament, two of the reforms proposed by Tony Wright in 2009 were adopted in 2010. Part of a package that aimed to restore the Commons’ authority over its own affairs and improve backbench MPs’ ability to scrutinise legislation. These were the election of members and chairs of Select Committees by secret ballot and the establishment of a Backbench Business Committee. The reforms are thought to have changed the House of Commons environment, albeit in the context of a coalition government. Panel 1 will include Tony Wright , David Foster and a parliamentary journalist. They will consider the reforms and will discuss their impact as well as wider questions such as why was the whole set of proposals was not adopted and what else needs to be done in the future.

MPs and their roles: great expectations for 2015?

After the expenses scandal, researchers have increasingly turned their attention to what voters expect of MPs and how MP careers and attitudes have changed. Researchers working on these areas, including Rosie Campbell, Peter Allen and Nick Allen, will talk about their results and findings about the career trajectory and public expectations of MPs, asking what the political implications of their findings will be for the general election and new Parliament and intake of May 2015.

Panel 1 - MPs - 14:00-15:30

Chair: Professor Tony Wright (Birkbeck and UCL)

Dr Rosie Campbell (Birkbeck) – Attitudes to MP Roles

Dr Peter Allen (Queen Mary University) – MP Careers

Dr Nick Allen (Royal Holloway) – What MPs think makes a good Prime Minister

Coffee, Tea 15:30-16:00

Panel 2 – The Impact of the Wright Reforms – 16:00-17:30

Chairs: Dr Rosie Campbell and Dr Ben Worthy

Professor Tony Wright (Birkbeck and UCL)

David Foster (House of Commons Library)

Dr Meg Russell (University College London)

Drinks 17:30-18:30

Free event, open to all.

Please RSVP to: britishpoliticscentre@bbk.ac.uk