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Editor's choice
Ping Pong: Has the House of Lords become a House of opposition?
Parliament
By Sienna Rodgers
Ping Pong: Has the House of Lords become a House of opposition?
The House of Lords inflicted a record number of defeats on the government in the last parliamentary year. As a new session begins, Sienna Rodgers looks at why the relationship between the two chambers has become so tense
Pastimes: Woodturning with Church of England bishop Martin Seeley
Communities
By Rosamund Urwin
Pastimes: Woodturning with Church of England bishop Martin Seeley
In her occasional series, Rosamund Urwin meets up with parliamentarians to discuss how they unwind away from Westminster. Here, Martin Seeley, the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, introduces her to woodturning
Tribute to Bob Blizzard by Lawrie Quinn
Political parties
By Lawrie Quinn
Tribute to Bob Blizzard by Lawrie Quinn
Jazz fan, staunch campaigner for the Lowestoft and Iraq war rebel, Bob Blizzard is sorely missed by his 1997 colleagues and Parliament at large.
Ex-Iran detainee Anoosheh Ashoori: 'My heart is with the people I’ve left behind'
Foreign affairs
By Sienna Rodgers
Ex-Iran detainee Anoosheh Ashoori: "My heart is with the people I’ve left behind"
Sentenced to 10 years on spying charges, Anoosheh Ashoori returned from Iran on the same plane as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. He tells Sienna Rodgers about his ordeal and continuing fight for the remaining detainees
Elections to the House of Lords – 100 years of debate
Parliament
By Lord Lexden
Elections to the House of Lords – 100 years of debate
Which was the first government to try to reform the composition of the House of Lords by bringing in elected members?
The Rundown Podcast: The Government's War With The Civil Service
Political parties
The Rundown Podcast: The Government's War With The Civil Service
Labour’s Justin Madders and the Institute for Government's Alex Thomas join PoliticsHome’s Alain Tolhurst and Suzannah Brecknell, co-editor of PoliticsHome's sister publication Civil Service World to pick through the government’s plans to shake up Whitehall with 91,000 job cuts and put an end to working from home.
Rules preventing women inheriting hereditary peerages should be changed
Social affairs
By Harriett Baldwin MP
Rules preventing women inheriting hereditary peerages should be changed
We are blessed to live in a new Elizabethan era; an era in which Her Majesty has long reigned over us and we celebrate her Platinum Jubilee with true devotion. In 2013, Royal Assent was given to the Succession to the Crown Act, ending the system of male heirs automatically inheriting the throne over female heirs.
The Neil Kinnock interview: “As long as I breathe, I’m going to be interested in the Labour Party”
Political parties
By Sienna Rodgers
The Neil Kinnock interview: “As long as I breathe, I’m going to be interested in the Labour Party”
Lord Kinnock may not have made it to No 10, but he remains a totemic presence in Labour. He shares with Sienna Rodgers his analysis of leaders past and present – and what the party must do to secure a successful future
All You Need To Know About The Northern Ireland Protocol And Why The UK And EU Are Rowing Over It
Brexit
All You Need To Know About The Northern Ireland Protocol And Why The UK And EU Are Rowing Over It
Well over two years since the UK left the European Union, and nearly six years since the in-out referendum of June 2016, the government and EU are at loggerheads and Brexit is back in the headlines once again.
'A one-sided selective narrative': Toby Young reviews 'Chums'
Books & culture
By Toby Young
'A one-sided selective narrative': Toby Young reviews 'Chums'
Is Oxford University’s 1980s generation of public schoolboys responsible for all Britain’s ills? While this highly readable book contains an occasional kernel of truth, Simon Kuper has nonetheless produced a one-dimensional portrait
A Major New Political Force In Northern Ireland Could Rewrite Power Sharing
Brexit
A Major New Political Force In Northern Ireland Could Rewrite Power Sharing
Northern Ireland’s political map was redrawn when nationalist Sinn Fein overtook unionist DUP to become the largest party at last week’s Assembly elections, but it’s the surge of the non-aligned Alliance party that is more likely to raise fundamental questions for the region in the short term.
Too Much, Too Young: Are MPs getting younger?
Parliament
By Professor Philip Cowley
Too Much, Too Young: Are MPs getting younger?
Not old enough; too inexperienced - that’s the frequent complaint about the current House of Commons. But are MPs actually getting younger? Professor Philip Cowley reports.
The Rundown Podcast: Protocol & Power Struggle, What's Next For Northern Ireland?
Home affairs
The Rundown Podcast: Protocol & Power Struggle, What's Next For Northern Ireland?
Former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Conservative MP Julian Smith, and Irish Times columnist Finn McRedmond join PoliticsHome’s Alain Tolhurst and Adam Payne on this week’s episode of The Rundown to unpack a seismic week in Northern Irish politics, which looks likely to amp up further as the UK threatens to rip up the contentious protocol.
The Home Office always was a graveyard for aspiring ministers
Home affairs
By Jack Straw
The Home Office always was a graveyard for aspiring ministers
Google “Home Office” and “failings,” and a long list will emerge of failures of every description: staff allegedly not caring; new IT systems delayed and inadequate; the Home Office castigated by senior judges for failures to disclose documents.
With the cost of living crisis only getting worse, we must tackle the growing need for food banks
Economy
By Wendy Chamberlain MP and Baroness D’Souza
With the cost of living crisis only getting worse, we must tackle the growing need for food banks
Today, we are launching a landmark investigation into how we tackle the growing – and incredibly concerning – need for food banks across the UK.
Leaked Memo Shows Tories Were Told To Accuse Labour Of 'Talking To Themselves' In Queen's Speech Response
Political parties
Leaked Memo Shows Tories Were Told To Accuse Labour Of "Talking To Themselves" In Queen's Speech Response
A leaked memo shows a list of questions written by the Conservative party's research departments for Tory MPs to use in the Queen's Speech debate.
Fraud may be our most common crime but policing has failed to catch up
Home affairs
By James Kirkup
Fraud may be our most common crime but policing has failed to catch up
Voters always worry about crime, and politicians always want to offer them reassurance. That usually means talking about police numbers, and often about “bobbies on the beat”. But such conversations fail to take account of the fact the nature of crime has changed.
Leader of the Pack: The Mark Spencer Interview
Political parties
By Noa Hoffman
Leader of the Pack: The Mark Spencer Interview
Westminster has once again found itself facing a reckoning over sexism, bullying and sleaze allegations. As Leader of the House of Commons, it falls to Mark Spencer to instigate a crackdown. He speaks to Noa Hoffman about where Westminster is failing the public and its own staff, what can be done to bring about change and his journey to Leader of the House. Photography by Baldo Sciacca
Government Could Struggle To Get All 38 Bills Announced In The Queen’s Speech Through
Parliament
Government Could Struggle To Get All 38 Bills Announced In The Queen’s Speech Through
The government faces a race against time to pass the 38 bills — the highest number of bills announced for a parliamentary session since 2005 — in its 2022 Queen’s Speech.
Maiden Voyages: who goes first?
Parliament
By Patrick Kidd
Maiden Voyages: who goes first?
There is no prize for being the first member of a new parliamentary intake to make their maiden speech, though it may give an early inkling of someone eager for the limelight. Frank Dobson in 1979, Edwina Currie in 1983, David Blunkett in 1987 and David Laws in 2001 all went on to make a name for themselves. Colum Eastwood, the Kenny Keen of 2019, has much to follow.
Montserrat speaker Charliena White seeks support from Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Foreign affairs
By Zoe Crowther
Montserrat speaker Charliena White seeks support from Sir Lindsay Hoyle
As Speaker of the Parliament of Montserrat, Charliena White knows she has plenty to learn from her UK counterpart – and just as much to teach him.
Tory Ministers See Support Slip Away In ‘Blue Wall’ Seats
Home affairs
Tory Ministers See Support Slip Away In ‘Blue Wall’ Seats
This year’s local elections have been largely described as a ‘disaster’ for the Conservatives and the ‘blue wall’ stronghold shows signs of crumbling in many cabinet ministers’ constituencies.
Labour Insist Claims They Have Failed To Grip The Whole Country Don't Stand Up, But Admit There's Work To Do
Political parties
Labour Insist Claims They Have Failed To Grip The Whole Country Don't Stand Up, But Admit There's Work To Do
Labour MPs and officials have dismissed suggestions that the party has failed to get a grip on support across the country, but privately admit there is still a way to go if they want to make serious gains at the next general election.
Choppy Waters Await Boris Johnson After Local Election Results Tories Say Are Bad “On Any Measure”
Political parties
Choppy Waters Await Boris Johnson After Local Election Results Tories Say Are Bad “On Any Measure”
According to one government official who was present when Conservative Campaign Headquarters briefed Downing Street on the scale of the Tory party's local election losses on Friday, "nobody was celebrating".
Jewish Councillors Say Barnet Win Is A Step Forward For Labour Relations After Anti-Semitism Allegations
Political parties
Jewish Councillors Say Barnet Win Is A Step Forward For Labour Relations After Anti-Semitism Allegations
Jewish councillors have described Labour winning control of Barnet Council as a significant step forward in the party’s efforts to rebuild trust with their community following allegations of anti-semitism in the party under former leader Jeremy Corbyn.
What to expect from the Queen's Speech in 2022
Political parties
By Dods Political Consultants
What to expect from the Queen's Speech in 2022
The Conservative government is scheduled to set out its legislative plans for the coming months in the Queen’s Speech, the centerpiece of the State Opening of Parliament, on 10 May 2022.
Restoration and Renewal CEO resigns following Parliament’s decision to scrap sponsor body
Parliament
By Eleanor Langford
Restoration and Renewal CEO resigns following Parliament’s decision to scrap sponsor body
The CEO and several members of senior staff at the Restoration and Renewal sponsor body have announced that they are leaving the project following Parliament’s decision to scrap it.
Here Are All The Places Where Local Elections Are Taking Place On 5 May
Home affairs
Here Are All The Places Where Local Elections Are Taking Place On 5 May
Voters up and down the UK are today deciding who will run their councils, but some areas have more seats up for grabs than others in these local elections.
Lord of the Locals: Lord Hayward on results, refereeing and regrets
Political parties
By Sienna Rodgers
Lord of the Locals: Lord Hayward on results, refereeing and regrets
Known for his skill at reading the political temperature of the nation, election expert Lord Hayward talks to Sienna Rodgers about results, refereeing and regrets
The Secret Caseworker: 'My pay has not increased in line with my workload'
Social affairs
By The Secret Caseworker
The Secret Caseworker: "My pay has not increased in line with my workload"
As the first port of call for constituency matters somewhere in the south of England, the Secret Caseworker takes us through a typically gruelling day
Anxious Vets Warn Scrapping Post-Brexit Checks Will Expose The UK To Disease
Brexit
Anxious Vets Warn Scrapping Post-Brexit Checks Will Expose The UK To Disease
UK vets have demanded a meeting with Jacob Rees-Mogg to warn that the government's decision to scrap a range of post-Brexit checks on goods coming in from the European Union will remove the UK's "first line of defence against disease coming into the country”.
The Rundown Podcast: MPs Are Tired Of Westminster's Misogyny Problem
Culture
The Rundown Podcast: MPs Are Tired Of Westminster's Misogyny Problem
Conservative MP Caroline Nokes and Labour MP Abena Oppong-Asare join PoliticsHome's Eleanor Langford and Noa Hoffman to discuss sexism, misogyny and sexual misconduct in parliament on this week's episode of The Rundown.
Extra Time: How Tracey Crouch can save football
Culture
By Lord Triesman
Extra Time: How Tracey Crouch can save football
The tripwires for Tracey Crouch’s excellent Fan-Led Review of Football Governance were the vain-glorious announcement of the “European Super League”, the collapse of Bury FC and near-insolvency of 45 other clubs, the pandemic and, of course, a Conservative manifesto commitment likely to figure in the Queen’s Speech.
Tories Are Caught In A Tug-Of-War Between National Scandal And Local Issues At The May Elections
Home affairs
Tories Are Caught In A Tug-Of-War Between National Scandal And Local Issues At The May Elections
Next week’s local elections loom large for Boris Johnson, with many MPs seeing the vote as a proxy referendum on the Prime Minister's scandal-tattered leadership.
The Yvette Cooper interview: 'Priti Patel's Home Office is failing'
Home affairs
By Sienna Rodgers
The Yvette Cooper interview: "Priti Patel's Home Office is failing"
Yvette Cooper is back on the Labour front bench and in a brief which is familiar territory. The shadow home secretary talks to Sienna Rodgers about how she hopes new leadership will change Labour’s fortunes – and why she would do a better job than Priti Patel
Yvette Cooper Says Priti Patel Is The “Weakest Home Secretary I’ve Ever Seen”
Home affairs
Yvette Cooper Says Priti Patel Is The “Weakest Home Secretary I’ve Ever Seen”
Exclusive: Yvette Cooper has described Priti Patel as “the weakest Home Secretary that I’ve ever seen” and declared that “Priti Patel's Home Office is failing” amid widespread criticism of the UK’s Ukrainian refugee scheme.