Alex Parsons
@alexparsons.bsky.social
Democracy Programme Lead / Senior Researcher - mySociety/TheyWorkForYou. Also for some reason Postman Pat reviews.
Pinned
Alex Parsons
@alexparsons.bsky.social
· Mar 4
WhoFundsThem
Building better information about money in politics.
whofundsthem.com
Today we've added some new features to TheyWorkForYou and launched an accompanying report about money in politics. See more at whofundsthem.com
It's me, the guy who asks if anyone has the full text of this letter, asking if anyone has the full text of this letter leftfootforward.org/2025/11/cros...
Cross-party MPs ramp up calls for government to restore Electoral Commission’s independence
"Our democracy is not safe while the Electoral Commission is left so vulnerable."
leftfootforward.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:43 PM
It's me, the guy who asks if anyone has the full text of this letter, asking if anyone has the full text of this letter leftfootforward.org/2025/11/cros...
So I'll think about this more but my three points would be:
PQs need access to the FOI appeal mechanism (agreement that PQ resubmitted as FOI is in effect the internal review?)
Parliament should pay attention to FOI stats in the same way as PQs
PQs need access to the FOI appeal mechanism (agreement that PQ resubmitted as FOI is in effect the internal review?)
Parliament should pay attention to FOI stats in the same way as PQs
UK House of Commons: @commonsproccom.parliament.uk has launched an inquiry undertaking a detailed review of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) committees.parliament.uk/committee/12...
Find written questions and answers questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...
#opengov #FOI -relevant
Find written questions and answers questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...
#opengov #FOI -relevant
November 25, 2025 at 9:43 AM
So I'll think about this more but my three points would be:
PQs need access to the FOI appeal mechanism (agreement that PQ resubmitted as FOI is in effect the internal review?)
Parliament should pay attention to FOI stats in the same way as PQs
PQs need access to the FOI appeal mechanism (agreement that PQ resubmitted as FOI is in effect the internal review?)
Parliament should pay attention to FOI stats in the same way as PQs
Reposted by Alex Parsons
On the interaction between WPQs and FOI requests, see this post by @alexparsons.bsky.social:
When MPs/Peers should use FOI rather than Parliamentary Questions www.mysociety.org/2025/07/01/w...
I also touched on this subject earlier in the year www.owenboswarva.com/blog/post-ga...
#FOI #opengov
When MPs/Peers should use FOI rather than Parliamentary Questions www.mysociety.org/2025/07/01/w...
I also touched on this subject earlier in the year www.owenboswarva.com/blog/post-ga...
#FOI #opengov
November 24, 2025 at 9:25 PM
On the interaction between WPQs and FOI requests, see this post by @alexparsons.bsky.social:
When MPs/Peers should use FOI rather than Parliamentary Questions www.mysociety.org/2025/07/01/w...
I also touched on this subject earlier in the year www.owenboswarva.com/blog/post-ga...
#FOI #opengov
When MPs/Peers should use FOI rather than Parliamentary Questions www.mysociety.org/2025/07/01/w...
I also touched on this subject earlier in the year www.owenboswarva.com/blog/post-ga...
#FOI #opengov
Reposted by Alex Parsons
UK House of Commons: @commonsproccom.parliament.uk has launched an inquiry undertaking a detailed review of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) committees.parliament.uk/committee/12...
Find written questions and answers questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...
#opengov #FOI -relevant
Find written questions and answers questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...
#opengov #FOI -relevant
November 24, 2025 at 9:13 PM
UK House of Commons: @commonsproccom.parliament.uk has launched an inquiry undertaking a detailed review of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) committees.parliament.uk/committee/12...
Find written questions and answers questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...
#opengov #FOI -relevant
Find written questions and answers questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...
#opengov #FOI -relevant
Reposted by Alex Parsons
Analysis piece from me and @robevansgdn.bsky.social on today's suspensions of two peers, and what it says about the House of Lords - a second chamber designed for second jobs - more widely.
Lords rules and culture make it easy for peers to abuse privileged position
Unreformed system means peers can profit by taking outside roles based on insider knowledge and access
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Analysis piece from me and @robevansgdn.bsky.social on today's suspensions of two peers, and what it says about the House of Lords - a second chamber designed for second jobs - more widely.
This is great - although the idea they go back to being a net positive to the legislative process in six months is hmm.
NEW: Lord Dannatt and Lord David Evans of Watford face suspension of 4mo/5mo respectively from the House of Lords after a parliamentary watchdog ruled they had broken lobbying rules. Reports from the conduct committee follows Guardian investigations into the peers.
w/ @robevansgdn.bsky.social
w/ @robevansgdn.bsky.social
Two peers suspended from House of Lords for breaking lobbying rules
Lord Dannatt and Lord Evans of Watford were filmed breaking rules in undercover footage recorded by Guardian
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:58 PM
This is great - although the idea they go back to being a net positive to the legislative process in six months is hmm.
Foodie friends: can't find the expiry date on this, do they go off?
November 23, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Foodie friends: can't find the expiry date on this, do they go off?
Aside to this, but there should be more critique of the role of judges that doesn't come from the executive-power brigade.
1/🧵 The good people of the Cabinet Office has found a copy of the Department for Education and Employment’s drafting instructions* for the Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999.
* the Parly Counsel does vetting only in this case, so the instructions is to DfEE’s in-house lawyers
* the Parly Counsel does vetting only in this case, so the instructions is to DfEE’s in-house lawyers
Sex Discrimination Gender Reassignment Regulations 1999 Drafting Instructions - a Freedom of Information request to Government Equalities Office
Please send me copies of the Sex Discrimination Gender Reassignment Regulations 1999’s Drafting Instructions given to the Parliamentary Counsel. If you can’t locate all versions, send me any one of th...
www.whatdotheyknow.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Aside to this, but there should be more critique of the role of judges that doesn't come from the executive-power brigade.
Here's a combination "what are open LLM models/why are they good/how do you use them" post www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/r...
Running open LLM models
Why we're learning more about open models, how we can use them in practice
www.mysociety.org
November 21, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Here's a combination "what are open LLM models/why are they good/how do you use them" post www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/r...
Reposted by Alex Parsons
Bit of a practical blog post talking through the components of how our APPG scraper uses LLMs to gather memberships www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/u...
Using LLM tools to build APPG scrapers
Practical approaches in sequencing automated and manual steps in a dynamic scraper.
www.mysociety.org
November 20, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Bit of a practical blog post talking through the components of how our APPG scraper uses LLMs to gather memberships www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/u...
Reposted by Alex Parsons
New report: What should we do about mayoral scrutiny? www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/m...
Mayoral scrutiny: building an ecosystem of accountability
New report: Building and supporting civic scrutiny of devolution
www.mysociety.org
November 18, 2025 at 10:39 AM
New report: What should we do about mayoral scrutiny? www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/m...
Immediately sent this to my wife, who was in that very nando's that night.
The revelation that @roberthutton.co.uk has never been to the Victoria branch of Nando's makes me suspect he may treat his sources a little better than I do www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
Recipes for disaster: Nando's with The Independent Group
Politicians making a meal of it. This week: Nando's with The Independent Group
www.politicshome.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Immediately sent this to my wife, who was in that very nando's that night.
Bit of a practical blog post talking through the components of how our APPG scraper uses LLMs to gather memberships www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/u...
Using LLM tools to build APPG scrapers
Practical approaches in sequencing automated and manual steps in a dynamic scraper.
www.mysociety.org
November 20, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Bit of a practical blog post talking through the components of how our APPG scraper uses LLMs to gather memberships www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/u...
This is sort of the thing, either this an incorrect interpretation of the judgement and shouldn't be approved, or it is a correct interpretation of a judgement that's an absurd reading of the legislation, which needs to be fixed.
and we all have to pretend that this is what Gordon Brown's government had intended the law to be for the last 15 years
This is unworkable btw
November 20, 2025 at 9:12 AM
This is sort of the thing, either this an incorrect interpretation of the judgement and shouldn't be approved, or it is a correct interpretation of a judgement that's an absurd reading of the legislation, which needs to be fixed.
Reposted by Alex Parsons
@da.vidh.scot and Paul Mutch, Deputy Head of Policy & Info, are giving evidence at the Scottish Parliament today on the FOI Reform Bill. Watch live here: www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/stan...
November 20, 2025 at 8:34 AM
@da.vidh.scot and Paul Mutch, Deputy Head of Policy & Info, are giving evidence at the Scottish Parliament today on the FOI Reform Bill. Watch live here: www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/stan...
Things going spin and then whoosh are back
[Ongoing thread] New Stargate TV show
We knew it was coming!
"Amazon MGM Studios has greenlighted another series based on popular MGM IP, giving a series order to Stargate for Prime Video. The new installment in the classic sci-fi franchise comes from Martin Gero, a Stargate veteran and...."
We knew it was coming!
"Amazon MGM Studios has greenlighted another series based on popular MGM IP, giving a series order to Stargate for Prime Video. The new installment in the classic sci-fi franchise comes from Martin Gero, a Stargate veteran and...."
a dark room with a light coming out of a hole in the wall
ALT: a dark room with a light coming out of a hole in the wall
media.tenor.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Things going spin and then whoosh are back
"What about the drunk pedestrian" is amazing
The reaction to these sensible measures was extreme..
She received death threats & was told by a BBC journalist 'You're only a woman, you don't drive, what do you know about it?'
This report from the time shows some of the attitudes to the change!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_tq...
She received death threats & was told by a BBC journalist 'You're only a woman, you don't drive, what do you know about it?'
This report from the time shows some of the attitudes to the change!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_tq...
Legal Drunk Drivers from the 1960s
YouTube video by Robert Exley
www.youtube.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:14 PM
"What about the drunk pedestrian" is amazing
One of the initial questions for this was "how should citizens relate to combined authorities?" - and there isn't really a good theory of this.
New report: What should we do about mayoral scrutiny? www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/m...
Mayoral scrutiny: building an ecosystem of accountability
New report: Building and supporting civic scrutiny of devolution
www.mysociety.org
November 19, 2025 at 3:57 PM
One of the initial questions for this was "how should citizens relate to combined authorities?" - and there isn't really a good theory of this.
Reposted by Alex Parsons
Several recent studies have found that politicians aren't very good at estimating public support for policies. But we have little idea about whether politicians are good at knowing which issues are more important to voters. Our new publication has a first go at answering this question rdcu.be/eQGm4
How Politicians (mis)Perceive Policy Salience
eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Several recent studies have found that politicians aren't very good at estimating public support for policies. But we have little idea about whether politicians are good at knowing which issues are more important to voters. Our new publication has a first go at answering this question rdcu.be/eQGm4
Backbench business reform is interesting in that it fits into the 'public servants' reform philosophy and shows some of the limits of that constitution-unit.com/2025/11/19/a...
Assessing the House of Commons Backbench Business Committee 15 years on
The House of Commons Backbench Business Committee was established in 2010, following recommendations from the ‘Wright Committee’ on reform of the Commons. At this 15-year point the committee is re…
constitution-unit.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Backbench business reform is interesting in that it fits into the 'public servants' reform philosophy and shows some of the limits of that constitution-unit.com/2025/11/19/a...
Reposted by Alex Parsons
Come along to my talk 'Does Transparency Make for Better Politics?' 25 November 2025, 13:00 — 14:00 (online)
www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event...
www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event...
SECRETS AND LIES: DOES MORE TRANSPARENCY MAKE FOR BETTER POLITICS?
3rd Seminar Series on Governance, Institutions and Sustainability
www.bbk.ac.uk
November 18, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Come along to my talk 'Does Transparency Make for Better Politics?' 25 November 2025, 13:00 — 14:00 (online)
www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event...
www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event...
Notes on the 2025-11-17 register:
A new House of Commons register of interests has been released and uploaded to TheyWorkForYou https://www.theyworkforyou.com/interests
Register of Interests
Making it easy to keep an eye on the UK’s parliaments. Discover who represents you, how they’ve voted and what they’ve said in debates.
www.theyworkforyou.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Notes on the 2025-11-17 register:
New report: What should we do about mayoral scrutiny? www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/m...
Mayoral scrutiny: building an ecosystem of accountability
New report: Building and supporting civic scrutiny of devolution
www.mysociety.org
November 18, 2025 at 10:39 AM
New report: What should we do about mayoral scrutiny? www.mysociety.org/2025/11/18/m...
"daddy has a problem" - three year old, having caused a problem
November 17, 2025 at 8:14 PM
"daddy has a problem" - three year old, having caused a problem