Ruth Fox

Former Prime Ministers: The role of Parliament in life after No 10 - Parliament Matters podcast, Episode 109 In this episode, we speak with Peter Just, author of a new book, Margaret Thatcher: Life After Downing Street. Peter explores how Thatcher reinvented herself after her departure to maintain her…

🎧 What happens when the most powerful person in the country suddenly… isn’t?
With Margaret Thatcher’s centenary approaching, and her legacy still dividing the Tory faithful, we talk to @expremiers.bsky.social about his new book exploring her life and politics after No 10.

Parliament Matters: A podcast about the institution at the heart of our democracy Join two of the UK’s leading parliamentary experts, Mark D’Arcy and Ruth Fox, as they guide you through the often mysterious ways our politicians do business and explore the running controversies…

🎧 PODCAST - Former Prime Ministers: The role of Parliament in life after No 10

We talk to @expremiers.bsky.social about his new book on Margaret Thatcher's time after No 10, and about how other ex-PMs have spent their parliamentary afterlife.

Listen below🔽

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As there is some form of consultation promised, perhaps we might get a Green Paper. And then after the consultation concludes we should have a White Paper and then a Bill. I'm not sure whether that's the equivalent of your official report but it's probably the nearest thing we have to it.

Yes, e-petitions are another factor I doubt anyone in No 10 gave any thought to in terms of communications management . The Backbench Business Committee in the House of Commons will have to schedule a debate in due course. It could end up being debated before the consultation is launched!

7/ Digital ID may or may not be the right call.

But this is not the best way to make public policy that affects all our lives.

6/ Opposition parties - and some Labour backbenchers - have already come out against it before seeing any detail.
Reflex politics that engages neither with the merits nor the risks.

5/ There will apparently be a consultation—yet no clarity on when it begins. So until then we’ll have days (weeks?) of speculation where the real detail risks being lost in the media & social-media frenzy.

4/ Just 10 days ago the tech minister said Govt was only looking at whether a new digital ID could tackle illegal immigration, transform services & help everyday life.

“No firm decision, estimate or assessment has yet been made.”

10 days later: policy announced. 🤔

3/ This wasn’t in the General Election manifesto.
There has been no strategic case, no groundwork to build public understanding. No costings. No timescales. Barely any detail. Hence why ministerial media appearances today have been poor and sometimes contradictory in their messaging.

2/ A policy with huge legislative, financial & social implications was unveiled as if Parliament’s consent were a given — before it was announced to MPs, before scrutiny.

@commonsspeaker.parliament.uk must be having conniptions in Chorley.

1/ Whatever you think of digital ID, the process matters.
And in 2025, this is still how we make big public policy. 👇

UCL Constitution Unit The Constitution Unit conducts timely, rigorous, independent research into constitutional change and the reform of political institutions. Our research has significant real-world impact, informing pol...

You can watch today's @conunitucl.bsky.social event with Lord Goldsmith online via their YouTube channel or later on their podcast.
www.youtube.com/@constitutio...

Treaty scrutiny: addressing the accountability gap In this guest blog, Lord Goldsmith KC, Chair of the House of Lords International Agreements Committee (IAC), sets out the findings of the Committee’s latest report urging reform of Parliament's outdat...

And this week Lord Goldsmith, Chair of the International Agreements Committee has written a blog for us @hansardsociety.bsky.social explaining why government objections to reform are unconvincing and meaningful accountability is overdue.
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/treaty-...

Parliamentary scrutiny of treaties - Our evidence to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee Our evidence on treaty scrutiny has been published by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. Our submission outlines the problems with the existing framework for treaty scrutiny and wh...

Our @hansardsociety.bsky.social evidence to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee sets out the problems and what is needed: www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications...

5/ Unless Parliament - especially the Commons - gets stronger powers of scrutiny, huge areas of economic and social policy will go unchecked. So we need modern scrutiny tools and resources to examine treaties fit for the 21st century.

4/ Free trade agreements in particular can “lock in” policy choices and create winners and losers across regions and sectors. Even if their macro-economic impact looks modest, their local consequences can be profound and long-lasting.

3/ Modern treaties can:
🌍 set human-rights, labour and environmental standards
📜 shape rules on data, product safety & IP
🥩 affect food standards & animal welfare
💷 influence jobs, public services & regional economies

These are decisions that shape our daily lives.

2/ Right now Parliament’s system for scrutinising treaties has barely changed for 100 years.

But today’s international agreements reach deep into domestic policy - far beyond old-style diplomacy. The scrutiny system hasn't kept up.

1/ Concerns are rising in Westminster over the Chagos deal and the UK’s trade agreements with the US, EU & India.

If we want better economic, trade and foreign-policy decisions, MPs need the tools – and the will – to hold government to account. 👇

Treaty scrutiny: addressing the accountability gap In this guest blog, Lord Goldsmith KC, Chair of the House of Lords International Agreements Committee (IAC), sets out the findings of the Committee’s latest report urging reform of Parliament's…

BLOG | Treaty scrutiny: addressing the accountability gap

In this guest blog, chair of @HLIntAgreements Lord Goldsmith KC outlines the Committee’s new report calling for stronger parliamentary oversight of treaties.

Read the blog post below 🔽

www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/treaty-...

Assisted dying bill: What will happen at Second Reading on Friday 19 September? The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - the Bill to legalise assisted dying - has passed through the House of Commons and now reached the House of Lords. A rare two-day Second Reading debate…

Our briefing breaks down:
• Day 1 highlights & why they matter today
• Who’s speaking in today’s debate
• Key motions & amendments for decision
• What a possible select committee could mean for the #AssistedDying Bill’s next stages
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It's a big day for the #AssistedDying Bill as the House of Lords decides on its Second Reading. Thanks to @politico.eu for sharing our briefing on today’s speakers, votes & amendments in their London Playbook newsletter.

Link to the briefing is in the post below. 👇

Assisted dying bill: What will happen at Second Reading on Friday 19 September? The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - the Bill to legalise assisted dying - has passed through the House of Commons and now reached the House of Lords. A rare two-day Second Reading debate be...

UPDATE - Assisted dying bill: what will happen at tomorrow's debate?

Following a compromise deal to establish a select committee to consider the bill, we've updated our blog on what to expect at tomorrow's debate.

Read below🔽
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/assiste...

11/ Tomorrow we will update our @hansardsociety.bsky.social blogpost explaining what to expect during Friday's debate - the order of speakers, procedures, votes etc - to reflect the latest developments when we see the final text of Baroness Berger's new motion.

10/ If you are interested in the #assisteddying Bill sign up to our @hansardsociety.bsky.social podcast, Parliament Matters. We are running a special series on the Bill - the politics, procedures and interviews with the key people involved.
👉 buff.ly/Iu1dPEu

9/ So the two sides have met mid-way. But the Bill needs to get through 2nd Reading first - this deal reinforces the view that it will progress so that Peers can consider what improvements/remedying of defects should be made to it.

8/ An interesting development. No doubt each side will claim it is a victory for their own side. The truth is it's a compromise. Peers who support the Bill see the value of evidence but were concerned about delays. Peers who oppose the Bill want to be constructive.

7/ They conclude their letter with an appeal to all Peers to support Baroness Berger's new motion. "We are both determined that in the interests of good legislation the House have the best opportunity to scrutinise and make decisions about this Bill."

6/ They envisage that the report "will in practice be the publication of its evidence and not a series of conclusions or recommendations". They think this will give the Committee time to procure evidence that will help the House in its work.

5/ "It will be for the committee to decide what evidence to call." The committee will be required to report to the House by 7 November, "allowing time for the whole house to consider the Bill through all its stages."