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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · 20d

A recording of the lecture is now available on our website:
studyofparliamentgroup.org/michael-ryle...

Michael Ryle Memorial Lecture 2025

The Michael Ryle Memorial Lecture 2025 was delivered by Professor Sir John Curtice on Wednesday 17th September on the theme of ‘Can Britain’s Two Party-System Survive?’. A recordi…

studyofparliamentgroup.org

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · 20d

A huge thank you to Professor Sir John Curtice for delivering last night’s Michael Ryle Lecture on the theme of “Can Britain’s Two Party System Survive?” 👏

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · 21d

For those unable to attend, a recording of the lecture will be available shortly after on this twitter feed and on our website (where you can also find recordings of past lectures).

studyofparliamentgroup.org/michael-ryle...

Michael Ryle Memorial Lecture

Michael Ryle (1927–2013) founded the Study of Parliament Group in 1964 with political scientist Bernard Crick. He was a House of Commons Clerk, serving from 1951 until his retirement in 1…

studyofparliamentgroup.org

Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · 21d

This lecture series commemorates one of our founders, Michael Ryle. Michael spent his whole career as a Commons Clerk and is particularly associated with reform of the House. The lecture series was established following Michael’s death and the mark the SPG’s 50th anniversary.

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · 21d

This evening Professor Sir John Curtice will deliver the 12th Annual Michael Ryle Memorial Lecture, on the theme of ‘Can Britain’s Two-Party System Survive?’

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Paul Silk @paulsilk.bsky.social · Aug 31

A sad week for @studyofparl.bsky.social with the death of two distinguished members who were also both kind and principled - Sir Roger Sands, former Clerk of the House of Commons and Professor Michael Rush of Exeter University. We will miss them greatly

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · Sep 8

It is with deep sadness that we announce the recent passing of two esteemed former Chairs of the SPG – Professor Michael Rush (Exeter University) and Sir Roger Sands (former Clerk of the House of Commons).

We will miss them, and our thoughts are with their families.

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UCL Constitution Unit @conunitucl.bsky.social · Aug 26

'What we need are limits on the number of people who go in, not just removing people who are there.'

Our Director and House of Lords expert, Meg Russell, discusses new plans to introduce a mandatory requirement age and participation requirement in the House of Lords on @lbc.co.uk.

Listen 👇

Meg Russell reacts to a House of Lords retirement age and emphasises its size problem on LBC News

The Director of the Constitution Unit, Professor Meg Russell, appeared on LBC News with Steve Holden to discuss government plans to introduce a retirement age in the House of Lords on 26 August 2025.…

www.youtube.com

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Ruxandra Serban @ruxandrasrbn.bsky.social · Aug 29

It was great to talk about all things PMQs with @ruthfox.bsky.social and @darcyxtip.bsky.social on @hansardsociety.bsky.social Parliament Matters!

We discuss why France and Canada have experimented with PMQs, and why it may be time to retire the ‘engagements’ question.

youtu.be/OtpApR3fNQE?...

Prime Minister's Questions: Westminster's weekly gladiatorial combat

YouTube video by Hansard Society

youtu.be

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PSA Parliaments @psa-parliaments.bsky.social · Jul 28

🎉 PSA Parliaments Annual Conference on 28 Nov @york.ac.uk 🎉

📣 Call for Papers is now live! Submit your abstract here: bit.ly/4o879gP

✏️Our ECR methods workshop will also take place on 27 Nov! Apply here: bit.ly/3J4uQXk

💻 Check out our website for more details: psaparliaments.org/annual-confe...

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · Jul 21

Find out more information about upcoming reforms on the Senedd website: senedd.wales/how-we-work/...

Your Senedd is Changing

The Senedd election in 2026 will be different to previous elections. There will be 96 Members, new constituencies, and a different voting system. Here’s what you need to know.

senedd.wales

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · Jul 21

On the 10th July we gathered in Cardiff Bay to discuss the challenges and opportunities arising from Senedd reform and how the benefits of increasing the membership of the Senedd can be realised. Huge thanks to our speakers, panellists and attendees

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Cristina Leston-Bandeira @estrangeirada.bsky.social · Jul 11

One cancelled train three delayed trains and four trains later I eventually got home yesterday for 22:30, but really enjoyed being part of the first @studyofparl.bsky.social Welsh gathering to discuss what's to come with the Seventh Senedd. And such a stunning bay in Cardiff.

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · Jun 30

Ahead of report stage beginning on the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, @conunitucl.bsky.social has commissioned polling on House of Lords reform. There’s overwhelming support for the government to go further in reforming the second chamber👇

UCL Constitution Unit @conunitucl.bsky.social · Jun 30

We have new opinion polling on House of Lords reform!

There is overwhelming public support to go beyond the government's current plans to remove hereditary peers (due to be debated in the Lords on Wednesday), including to limit prime ministerial appointments and cap the chamber's size.

A thread 👇

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Stephen Holden Bates @stephenholdenbates.bsky.social · Jun 30

📢📢📢 CfP: What is a Parliament?

***Hurry! Deadline is this Friday!***

Interdisciplinary workshop on 19th September 2025 in London.

Full details below.

Kindly sponsored by Birkbeck, the University of Birmingham and
@psa-parliaments.bsky.social

Please apply and/or spread the word!

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · Jun 13

Coming up next week. Do sign up via the @conunitucl.bsky.social website👇

UCL Constitution Unit @conunitucl.bsky.social · Jun 13

Our free, online conference is taking place next week!

Our House of Commons reform panel features @catsmithmp.bsky.social, @wendychambld.bsky.social and @drhannahwhite.bsky.social. What are the priorities for changing how the Commons works?

Sign up 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution....

The Constitution Unit conference 2025. Reforming the House of Commons. 19 June 2025, 1:00pm – 2:15pm. Cat Smith MP (Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre and chair of the Procedure Committee). Wendy Chamberlain MP (Liberal Democrat MP for North East Fife, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip and member of the Modernisation Committee). Dr Hannah White (Director of the Institute for Government). Chair: Dr Tom Fleming (Lecturer in British and Comparative Politics at UCL).

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · May 23

📢EVENT📢 Realising Senedd Reform

Join us for a discussion of the challenges and opportunities arising from Senedd Reform ahead of the 2026 election.

📅 Thursday 10th July

📍Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay

Register on our website: studyofparliamentgroup.org/2025/05/22/e...

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · May 23

📢EVENT📢 Realising Senedd Reform

Join us for a discussion of the challenges and opportunities arising from Senedd Reform ahead of the 2026 election.

📅 Thursday 10th July

📍Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay

Register on our website: studyofparliamentgroup.org/2025/05/22/e...

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Reposted by Study of Parliament Group

Stephen Holden Bates @stephenholdenbates.bsky.social · May 22

📢📢📢 CfP: What is a Parliament?

Interdisciplinary workshop on 19th September 2025 in London.

Full details below.

Kindly sponsored by Birkbeck, the University of Birmingham and @psa-parliaments.bsky.social

Please apply and/or spread the word!

Call for Papers: What is a Parliament?
Are parliaments institutions, organisations, corporations or something else? Does it make sense to ask the question Who is Parliament? or should parliaments always be considered a thing or set of relations of some kind?
This interdisciplinary one-day workshop will consider such questions from all points of view, from the metaphysical to the political, historical, legal and anthropological, as well as how our different understandings of parliaments affect the way we study, critique and run them.
We welcome papers operating at all levels of abstraction and those concerned with concrete cases. Our aim is for the workshop to include scholars working in different academic disciplines, from different intellectual traditions, and who are at all career stages from PhD onwards.
If you are interested in presenting a paper, please send a title and abstract of no more than 250 words to Stephen Holden Bates (s.r.bates@bham.ac.uk) by 4th July 2025.
The workshop will be held on Friday 19th September in Birkbeck’s Keynes Library (46 Gordon Square, London). It is being co-convened by Stephen Holden Bates (University of Birmingham), Paul Seaward (History of Parliament Trust) and Ben Worthy (Birkbeck, University of London) and co-sponsored by the Department of Politics at Birkbeck, the Department of Political Science & International Studies at the University of Birmingham and PSA Parliaments.
The workshop will be free, and refreshments and lunch will be provided. Early career researchers who have a paper accepted will be able to apply for funding from PSA Parliaments to cover some or all travel expenses on a case-by-case basis.

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Ben Yong @bymyong.bsky.social · May 22

Thanks to @walesgovernance.bsky.social and the Welsh branch of @studyofparl.bsky.social for letting me chat about parliamentary administration in the UK. Really appreciate the interest and the questions! Diolch!

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Cristina Leston-Bandeira @estrangeirada.bsky.social · May 15

And huge thanks to the @studyofparl.bsky.social for sponsoring our drinks reception. It was great to see so many SPG members there. We hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did 😊.

Cristina Leston-Bandeira @estrangeirada.bsky.social · May 15

We had the most brilliant launch of Exploring Parliament this evening at the Institute for Government! Thank you to all the panellists, all the guests, and most of all to @instituteforgovernment.org.uk for hosting us, truly appreciated 🙏😊. V special also to have our own students attending 😊1/2:

Panel at the launch of the book Exploring Parliament, hosted by the Institute for Government - from left to right: Chloe Mawson (House of Lords, Clerk Assistant), Dr Sean Haughey (Liverpool University), Dr Hannah White (Institute for Government) and Professor Meg Russell (Constitution Unit, UCL).

Panel at the launch of the book Exploring Parliament, hosted by the Institute for Government - from left to right: Margaret McKinnon (House of Commons, Director, People and Culture Team), Professor Nick Allen (Royal Holloway University), Dr Hannah White (Institute for Government) and Dr Rebecca McKee (Institute for Government).

Students attending the launch of the book Exploring Parliament, hosted by the Institute for Government - from left to right: Emily Carter, Isabella Elie, Professor Cristina Leston-Bandeira, Lewis Rantell, Soleen Ali and Dr Alexandra Meakin.

Guests enjoying the launch of the book Exploring Parliament, hosted by the Institute for Government.

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · May 15

There is still time to sign up for online attendance ahead of this evening’s “Exploring Parliament” book launch 📚

Cristina Leston-Bandeira @estrangeirada.bsky.social · May 15

Big day today! The launch of 'Exploring Parliament' - really looking forward to catch up with other authors and celebrate the book. Thank you to the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk for hosting us and to @studyofparl.bsky.social for sponsoring the launch. You can still register online👇:

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · May 15

TODAY | Book launch: 'Exploring Parliament'

Thursday 15 May, 17.30

Join us for this 'Exploring Parliament' launch to hear from an expert panel discussing how parliament works, who works there, and how this institution keeps evolving.

🔗Register:
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/book-l...

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Cristina Leston-Bandeira @estrangeirada.bsky.social · May 15

Big day today! The launch of 'Exploring Parliament' - really looking forward to catch up with other authors and celebrate the book. Thank you to the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk for hosting us and to @studyofparl.bsky.social for sponsoring the launch. You can still register online👇:

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · May 15

TODAY | Book launch: 'Exploring Parliament'

Thursday 15 May, 17.30

Join us for this 'Exploring Parliament' launch to hear from an expert panel discussing how parliament works, who works there, and how this institution keeps evolving.

🔗Register:
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/book-l...

Banner for an IfG event titled 'Book launch: 'Exploring Parliament' on Thursday 15 May at 17.30-18.30.

Speakers:
Professor Nicholas Allen, Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway, University of London
Dr Sean Haughey, Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool
Chloe Mawson, Clerk Assistant at the House of Lords
Dr Rebecca McKee, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
Margaret McKinnon, Director Member and Members’ Staff Services Team at the House of Commons
Professor Meg Russell, Director of the Constitution Unit at University College London (UCL)
The event will be chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · May 9

Congratulations to SPG President @lordnortonlouth.bsky.social on his appointment as a PSA Founding Fellow 👏

Political Studies Association @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social · May 9

*PSA Founding Fellow* We are delighted to announce Professor The Lord Norton of Louth, Philip Norton FPSA, @lordnortonlouth.bsky.social @PoliticsatHull as a new PSA Founding Fellow, in honour of their significant contribution to the Association and #PoliticalStudies. Congratulations!

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Study of Parliament Group @studyofparl.bsky.social · May 7

On the 15th May, the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk are hosting a book launch for the 2nd edition of Exploring Parliament, edited by @estrangeirada.bsky.social, @louisevthompson.bsky.social & @ameakin.bsky.social

Sign up to attend online: …stituteforgovernment.zohobackstage.eu/BooklaunchExpl…

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