Teachers’ Institute: 29 June – 3 July 2015

The Education Service will be hosting the next Teachers’ Institute residential course in Westminster, 29 June – 3 July 2015, and applications are now open.  The Teachers’ Institute is a unique professional development opportunity, enabling teachers to experience Parliament in action during an informative, interactive and unforgettable week based at the Houses of Parliament.

Transport and accommodation costs are covered for all delegates, and applications are welcome from teachers and other professionals working with children aged 7-18 across Citizenship, Politics, Law, History and other related subjects.

Apply by 31 March at www.parliament.uk/teachers-institute

The Hansard Society has published a new online resource, Parliament Revealed, which claims to offer ‘an insider’s guide to one of the oldest parliamentary democracies’ – that would be ours.  It does this by ‘speaking directly to MPs, Peers and Staff who serve there’, so we imagine some of you will be featured.

While we’re sure everyone working for an MP is fully aware of the minutiae of Parliamentary procedure and has little to learn from a  resource aimed at the general public, or any interest in learning all about Parliament in 30 minutes – as below – it may be something to point friends and family to when they ask ‘so what do you actually do all day?’

A House Rebuilt?  Progress, governance and an agenda towards 2020

Monday March 2, 6pm, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, Westminster
Chaired by: Dr Ruth Fox, Hansard Society

In this “end of term” lecture given to the Hansard Society, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, will outline his thoughts on the significant challenges facing the next Parliament, in particular the implementation of changes to the leadership and future governance of the House service, the restoration and renewal of the parliamentary estate, the unfinished work of the Wright Committee, and implementation of the Digital Democracy Commission.

The Lecture will be followed by a Q&A session

To attend contact comms@hansardsociety.org.uk

3FF is looking for future community or political leaders to take part in a fully-funded, year-long programme developing leadership skills. ParliaMentors is a UN Award winning leadership programme where teams of university students of different faiths and non-religious beliefs collaborate to create real social change while being mentored by a local MP.

Through expert-led training, support from local and national NGOs and opening up access to Westminster, ParliaMentors gives students the networks and skills they need to affect real change in their communities, in their careers and in the political arena.

The programme involves the chance to:

• See politics in action: Gain a unique insight into the political process while being mentored by MPs and Peers.
• Create social change: Work in mixed-belief teams to create social action projects with support from leading charities.
• Develop leadership skills: Learn through direct experience, expert-led training workshops and events.
• Build networks: Create new professional and personal links and join our 300-strong global network of young leaders.

This year applications are only open to the following nine universities:

• SOAS University
• Queen Mary
• University of Manchester
• Salford University
• University of Nottingham
• Nottingham Trent University
• University of Birmingham
• Birmingham City University
• Coventry University

For more information and to access the online application form click here: www.3ff.org.uk/parliamentors

ParliaMentors runs alongside the academic year, starting in September 2015 and running until June 2016. Applicants must be a current student in the next academic year to apply. The deadline for applications is Friday 27^th March, places are limited.

For any questions that are not answered by our video or FAQs then please get in touch at mentoring@3ff.org.uk or call us on 0207 485 1350.

 

Since the general election in 2010, when Parliament was dissolved by prerogative powers and the election timetable lasted 17 days, two pieces of legislation have made changes to the triggering of, and timetable for, a general Parliamentary election.

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 fixes the date of the next general election as 7 May 2015, and provides for five year intervals between elections. The Act ends the prerogative power of dissolution. The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 made provision for lengthening the UK Parliamentary election timetable, both for general and by-elections. These provisions have been brought into force and Parliament will have to be dissolved 25 rather than 17 days before the general election on 7 May 2015. The by-election timetable will now also vary between 21 and 27 days from the issuing of the writ. For further details see Library Standard Note 6609, By-election timetables.

A brief outline of the timetable for the 2015 General Election is provided in this Note. Parliament will be dissolved on Monday 30 March 2015, Day 0 of the timetable, for polling day to be on Day 25, Thursday 7 May 2015. The Electoral Commission has recently published full details of the timetable for 7 May 2015 on its website.

Read the Briefing Note (pdf)

Researchers and caseworkers tend to move from time to time- we know, we see the adverts  -so this guide from the Property Friend website may be of interest.

Moving House Checklist

‘A House Rebuilt? Progress, governance and an agenda towards 2020’

In this “end of term” lecture organised by the Hansard Society the Speaker will set out the progress made in strengthening Parliament as a proper check and balance on the executive, reconnecting Parliament with the public and establishing the House of Commons, and its governance, as a modern and model public sector institution. He will then set out his ambitions for reform in the next Parliament after the general election. The event will be followed by Q&As.

6pm, Monday 2nd March, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House

Register here

All staff will no doubt be aware that there’s a General Election coming, and the outcome seems to be especially unpredictable.  In a new report form  for the Electoral Reform Society, Professor John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde uses polling data to demonstrate how relatively small shifts in support among the parties can have dramatic effects on the shape of the next Parliament, and therefore the next government.

According to a post on the ERS blog:

some of the outcomes predicted in this report seem so random as to suggest voters would be as well buying a lottery ticket as being handed a ballot paper. As Professor Curtice notes, this is an election where it looks like there will be no relationship between votes cast and seats won.

Read the report (PDF)

Parliament is a serious place, and the Palace of Westminster and constituency offices are filled with hard-working, dedicated professionals engaged in the important business of running the country.

But even the most committed need time for rest and recuperation, space to kick back and unwind, and opportunities to take a sideways look at their workplace, employers and even their political masters. Our alt.guides offer a sidelong view of life working for an MP, and include a monthly cartoon from Hoby.

In this video, w4mp founder Dick Robinson and others talk about the history and current operation of the site.

(Or go to A Brief History of w4mp from Bill Thompson on Vimeo.)

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