Study of Parliament Group

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…

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

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?” 👏

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…

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...

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.

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?’

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

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.

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

'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 👇

YouTube video by Hansard Society Prime Minister's Questions: Westminster's weekly gladiatorial combat

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?...

🎉 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...

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.

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

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

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.

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👇

📢📢📢 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!

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

📢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...

📢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...

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.

📢📢📢 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!

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!

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 😊.

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

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👇:

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

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…

This year’s @conunitucl.bsky.social Annual Conference is taking place on the 18th and 19th June, on the theme of Labour’s Constitutional Agenda in Office. Further details and sign up information👇

Huge congratulations also go to SPG President, Lord Norton on his PSA Founding Fellow Award

Huge congratulations to @estrangeirada.bsky.social and @ameakin.bsky.social for their well deserved awards at this year’s #PSA25

Our final presentation of the day is by Dr Tom Fleming of @conunitucl.bsky.social on institutional changes in the @houseofcommons.parliament.uk over time

For our next presentation, we are getting an exciting update on interview-based research by @estrangeirada.bsky.social and @louisevthompson.bsky.social into the very under-studied Westminster Hall