In response to my post on the problems of a long recess, two readers – Adrian Kidney and James Clarke – expressed distrust in the media. I pointed out that Eurobarometer data reveal that they are not alone. The data show low – and declining – levels of trust in the press. Eurabarometer 69 (Spring…
Parliament has started producing podcasts as part of its programme of utilising new media to explain what it does. It has produced one on how MPs and peers go about their work away from their respective chambers. Though the media focus is on the chamber, most time of parliamentarians is taken up with committees, correspondence, meeting with…
Parliaments generally sit according to a set timetable. International crises can occur at any time. Events in South Ossetia are understandably causing widespread international concern. They also illustrate the problem that attaches to parliamentary recesses. There is no mechanism by which Parliament, short of a recall, can debate what is happening and question Government. The…
The report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Constitutional Renewal Bill received little if any media coverage. However, the report of the Lords Constitution Committee on the Counter-Terrorism Bill has received substantial attention. The report was published yesterday. The report focuses on the provisions for pre-charge detention and questioning and on inquests. The committee…
Two exhibitions are now on display in the Palace of Westminster. There is one in Westminster Hall to mark the 175th anniversary of Dod’s Parliamentary Companion. The Companion is an essential guide to Parliament and (especially) its members: there are a great many well-thumbed copies throughout the Palace. If a member or official cannot quite…
