Why Parliament Works

Talitha Rowland is the Cabinet Office Deputy Director who runs the secretariat for the Cabinet's Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee, which is charged with overseeing the development of the government's legislative agenda. In this unprecedented interview she offers a rare insight of a civil servant's view of the lawmaking process, in discussion with Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Fast-streamer Mohammed Hasan interviewed Jacob Rees-Mogg as part of 2021's Civil Service Live, giving the Leader of the House a chance to set out his views on how government interacts with parliament to an audience of civil servants. 

Jacob Rees-Mogg hands over the reins to Lord Hannan of Kingsclere for a special episode to conclude the second series of 'Why Parliament Works'. The pair discuss what the powers returned from the European Union mean for the UK Parliament - and how parliamentarians should respond to their new, strengthened roles. 

Dame Eleanor Laing is the House of Commons' senior deputy speaker, the Chairman of Ways and Means. In this episode she discusses with Jacob Rees-Mogg her career in Westminster  - including her time as special adviser to Leader of the House John MacGregor from 1990 to 1992; her election in 1997; and her views on the Commons during the pandemic.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is a landmark piece of legislation and the result of extensive scrutiny by Parliament. In this special episode of the 'Why Parliament Works' podcast to mark Royal Assent - the moment when the bill becomes an Act of Parliament - Minister for Safeguarding Victoria Atkins discusses her work with MPs and peers to improve the legislation, which aims to improve the lives of millions of people.

A video version of this interview is also available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofOV68X9GX0&t=1087s

Dr Caroline Shenton, historian, archivist and author of 'The Day Parliament Burned Down' and 'Mr Barry's War', discusses the disastrous 1834 fire which destroyed the Palace of Westminster and its subsequent protracted rebuilding with Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg. 

The Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Natalie Evans of Bowes Park, discusses with the Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, her experience in the upper House - first as the youngest female peer, then as a Baroness-in-Waiting, and since 2016 in her current role.

Catherine McKinnell is the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North and chairman of the Commons' petitions committee, which has been giving members of the public the opportunity to influence parliamentary business since its establishment in 2015. This episode explains the ongoing relevance of petitioning, one of the oldest forms of seeking redress of grievance, and explores why it is proving even more popular than ever.

Carolyn Harris is the Member of Parliament for Swansea East and a regular contributor to business questions, where she often praises individuals and organisations in her constituency. In this episode Jacob Rees-Mogg discusses with her how MPs of all parties can support their constituents and how campaigning MPs can make a real difference to people's lives.

The development of petitioning during the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries is an important chapter in the UK Parliament's history. This period saw a broadening of the scope of the issues under consideration: cases of individuals seeking redress of grievance continued throughout but were increasingly supplemented by instances when the king was asked to consider matters of national significance. In this episode Jacob Rees-Mogg discusses this shift with Gwilym Dodd, Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, who specialises in politics, kingship and government in late medieval England.

In his long and distinguished parliamentary career Lord Hague of Richmond has seen the Commons - and more recently, the Lords - from every conceivable angle: backbencher, junior minister, leader of the opposition, shadow foreign secretary, first secretary of state, foreign secretary and of course Leader of the House. In this episode Jacob Rees-Mogg discusses the "hidden wiring" of parliament with one of his most experienced predecessors to learn more about why parliament works.

Following the UK's exit from the European Union the three principles of parliamentary of sovereignty as defined by A.V. Dicey, that great constitutional theorist, once again fully apply to Westminster. These are that Parliament is the supreme lawmaking body and can enact laws on any subject; that Parliament cannot bind its successor; and that no court or law, or other body for that matter, can question the validity of Parliament’s enactments. In this episode Jacob Rees-Mogg discusses Dicey's work and the relevance of parliamentary sovereignty today with Professor Vernon Bogdanor of King's College London, who returns to the podcast following his more general interview in the first series' opening episode. 

Sir John Fortescue is underappreciated today despite being the leading political thinker in England in the 15th century. His concept of a dominium politicum et regale, articulated in the midst of the Wars of the Roses, recognised that the governance of England rests on political consultation rather than unfettered executive fiat. In this episode Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg explores Sir John's life and times with Dr Hannes Kleineke of the History of Parliament Trust. 

The 'How Parliament Works' textbook, co-authored by Lord Lisvane (see S1 E6), defines the usual channels as "the informal and private contacts between the whips and business managers of the two sides of each House". In this episode Lord Young of Cookham, a former Leader of the House and Chief Whip, explains why these interactions are so important for the smooth running of the Commons. He also reflects on his lengthy ministerial career, the workings of the 2010-15 coalition government and his time as both a minister and backbencher in the House of Lords.

The United Kingdom’s 21st century constitution can directly trace its commitment to the concept of consent from the people back to the 1297 Statute Concerning Tallage. In this episode Dr Sophie Ambler of the University of Lancaster puts the 1297 Statute into its 13th century context - reflecting on it as the culmination of a story that began in 1215 with the much more widely known Magna Carta and continued with the drama of Simon de Montfort's brutal rise and fall.

The second series of 'Why Parliament Works' explores elements of Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg's Wheeler-Booth Memorial Lecture to the Study of Parliament Group, delivered on 8 January 2021. Here is the lecture in full, which argues that the unseen parts of parliament are more - not less - democratic than you think.

With kind permission of the Erskine May Memorial Trust, Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg reads from  chapter 20 of the 25th edition of Erskine May - "The process of debate in the House of Commons by motion, question and decision."

Mark Hutton, co-editor (with Sir David Natzler) of the 25th edition of 'Erskine May' , discusses his work helping shape one of the UK Parliament's - and the UK constitution's - most important texts. This episode concludes the first season of 'Why Parliament Works' with Jacob Rees-Mogg, Leader of the House of Commons.

Scouts CEO Matt Hyde reflects on UK Parliament Week, before Jacob Rees-Mogg takes questions from Scouts in south London about the UK's parliamentary democracy.

In what might just be a ministerial first, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle is interviewed by Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg. Mr Speaker used their interview to reflect on his first 12 months in the job - including his unexpected diagnosis of type 1 diabetes during the general election and masterminding the extraordinary changes made to allow scrutiny to continue during the coronavirus pandemic. Picture credit: UK Parliament / Jess Taylor

Dr Harsha Jani explains why Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK is such a big supporter of UK Parliament Week, before Jacob Rees-Mogg takes questions from young HSS-UK members.

Westminster Foundation for Democracy strengthens democracy by supporting parliaments, political parties, civil society and elections around the world. Its director of programmes, Shannon O'Connell, shares her thoughts on why parliaments work with Jacob Rees-Mogg, before the Leader of the House talks to Lana Prlić, an MP in the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to get her perspective on the issues facing women in politics.

Jim Shannon intervenes on the podcast with a discussion from quarantine about his love of the Commons chamber, the importance of speaking up for constituents and - of course - his enduring commitment to adjournment debates.

Former Clerk of the House of Commons and crossbench peer Robert Rogers, Lord Lisvane discusses the role of the clerks in conversation with Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg.

First Parliamentary Counsel Elizabeth Gardiner discusses the intricacies of drafting legislation, and her work improving parliamentary capability within the UK Civil Service, with Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Minister for the Constitution and Devolution Chloe Smith discusses her role, and her experience taking legislation through the Commons, with Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg. This episode was recorded in August 2020.

Crossbench peer and Director of the University of Hull’s Centre for Legislative Studies Professor Philip Lord Norton of Louth discusses the lawmaking process, including the importance of informal spaces in Parliament, with Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg. This episode was recorded in June 2020.

Former MP and Deputy Speaker Natascha Engel discusses her time in the House of Commons as well as offering advice to new MPs, in conversation with the Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Noted constitutionalist Prof Vernon Bogdanor is the first guest on the Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg’s new podcast, exploring some of the less understood aspects of the UK’s parliamentary democracy and how our constitution delivers for voters.

Coming soon - a podcast on the topic of 'Why Parliament Works' from the Leader of the House of Commons.