Parliament Matters

Joanna Cherry joins us this week to discuss her newly published memoir, in which she looks back on some of the most contentious battles in British and Scottish politics in the last two decades.

She arrived at Westminster in 2015 as one of 56 SNP MPs elected in a historic landslide that transformed Scottish politics and made the SNP the third-largest party in the House of Commons. She describes the excitement – and occasional hostility – that greeted the new contingent and explains why her experience at Westminster left her believing that the Scottish Parliament could learn a lot from the Commons, particularly when it comes to cross-party working, debate, dissent, and committee scrutiny.

One of the central arguments of Cherry’s memoir is that the SNP repeatedly failed to exploit moments of political leverage and that it pursued the wrong strategy for securing another Scottish independence referendum after the loss in 2014. She sets out what she thinks the party could have done differently and why she believes support for independence has now become increasingly detached from support for the SNP itself.

Her national profile grew dramatically during the Brexit years. As a constitutional lawyer, Cherry became the lead petitioner in the Scottish legal challenge to Boris Johnson’s 2019 prorogation of Parliament. She explains why the case was brought in Scotland, why she believed the challengers would ultimately win, and what it felt like when the Supreme Court unanimously ruled the prorogation unlawful.

The conversation also turns to the bitter internal disputes that marked Cherry’s later years in the SNP. She discusses her relationship with Nicola Sturgeon, her concerns about the SNP’s governance and finances, the treatment of her former mentor Alex Salmond, and the fierce arguments over reform of Scotland’s gender recognition laws.

Having lost her seat at Westminster in 2024 and subsequently left the SNP, is Joanna Cherry finished with frontline politics? Perhaps not. She doesn’t rule out a return under a new party leader and a new culture of independent thinking.

🎓 Learn more using our resources for the issues mentioned in this episode.

❓ Send us your questions about Parliament:

✅ Subscribe to our newsletter.

📱 Follow us across social media @HansardSociety / @hansardsociety.bsky.social

£ - Support the Hansard Society and this podcast by making a donation today.

Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Presenters: Mark D’Arcy and Ruth Fox
Producer: Richard Townsend
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canada’s Parliament shares its Westminster roots with the UK, but it has developed its own distinctive traditions, procedures and political culture. In this episode, Charlie Feldman – former President of the Canadian Study of Parliament Group and author of Unparliamentary, a collection of stories from the stranger corners of Canadian political history – explains how the federal Parliament in Ottawa reflects its British inheritance while developing a character all of its own.

The conversation moves beyond constitutional structures to the parliamentary incidents that never quite make it into procedural textbooks. From fistfights between MPs that left chunks torn from a Victorian beard to a full-size salmon being carried across the chamber and deposited on the Prime Minister’s desk, these stories are entertaining in their own right, while illustrating that even the grandest legislatures are not immune to moments of absurdity or behaviour that falls well short of the dignity their proceedings are meant to embody.

Charlie also explores some of the more unusual chapters in the Canadian Parliament’s history, including the era when senators were required to adjudicate divorce petitions, with medically trained members examining evidence in an intrusive manner that would be unimaginable today. He discusses the quirks of bilingual parliamentary proceedings and reveals the truth behind the famous story of an MP who allegedly read his entire book into Hansard to secure a free French translation.

The episode also examines Parliament Hill’s more unconventional residents. Charlie recounts the contrasting fortunes of its well-loved colony of feral cats and an infestation of rabbits that reportedly survived repeated gunfire from the window of the Speaker’s office.

Finally, the discussion looks beyond procedure to Parliament’s physical home. Drawing on visits to legislatures across Europe, Charlie reflects on the challenge of preserving historic parliamentary buildings while creating safe, accessible and modern workplaces. Canada’s ambitious restoration of Parliament Hill offers valuable lessons for Westminster as it confronts the long-term renewal of its own ageing estate.

🎓 Learn more using our resources for the issues mentioned in this episode.

❓ Send us your questions about Parliament:

✅ Subscribe to our newsletter.

📱 Follow us across social media @HansardSociety / @hansardsociety.bsky.social

£ - Support the Hansard Society and this podcast by making a donation today.

Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Presenters: Mark D’Arcy and Ruth Fox
Producer: Richard Townsend
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Burnham has unveiled his ministerial team. So, we assess what his appointments reveal about the Government’s priorities, the political calculations behind them, and the parliamentary tests that lie ahead.

We begin with the appointment of the new Chief Whip, Anneliese Midgley MP, who takes on one of Westminster’s toughest jobs despite having just two years’ parliamentary experience and no experience on the front bench.

We also consider the return of familiar faces to Cabinet, the promotion of newer MPs, the creation of a Cabinet-level role for artificial intelligence, and the implications of the reshuffle for select committees, the House of Lords and the Opposition front benches.

Andy Burnham has also reorganised the machinery of government. Professor Jon Davis, Professor of Government at King’s College London, joins us to explain why changes to Whitehall departments matter, how they shape decision-making at the heart of government, and why reorganising government can have consequences that last long after individual ministers have moved on.

With Parliament now in summer recess, Ruth and Mark also recommend a selection of political books to keep you entertained over the holidays – whether you’re heading for the beach, relaxing in the garden or simply taking shelter from the latest heatwave.

Although Parliament is taking a break, Parliament Matters isn't. Keep an eye on your podcast feed throughout August for several special episodes. Unless Parliament is recalled or major political developments demand an emergency edition, we'll return with our regular weekly analysis when Parliament reconvenes in September.
____

🎓 Learn more using our resources for the issues mentioned in this episode.

❓ Send us your questions about Parliament:

✅ Subscribe to our newsletter.

📱 Follow us across social media @HansardSociety / @hansardsociety.bsky.social

£ - Support the Hansard Society and this podcast by making a donation today.

Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Presenters: Mark D’Arcy and Ruth Fox
Producer: Richard Townsend
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the murder of Ann Widdecombe, we reflect on the dangers facing those in Parliament and public life. Earlier this year, former Lord Chancellor Sir Robert Buckland was appointed to lead the independent review into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Sir David Amess MP, examining whether any opportunities to prevent his death were missed. He joins us to discuss the risks facing politicians today, what more can be done to improve their safety, and how those protections can be strengthened without undermining the close relationship between MPs and the constituents they serve. We also look back at Ann Widdecombe's parliamentary career, including her memorable appearance at the Hansard Society's 2009 House of Commons Speaker election hustings, where she demonstrated the wit, independence and commitment to Parliament that defined her public life.

As Sir Keir Starmer names 26 new Peers, we examine the future of the House of Lords. This week, the Hansard Society hosted the first major speech by the Lord Speaker since his election earlier this year. In a wide-ranging address, he warned of the constitutional risks of embarking on poorly conceived reform of the Upper House, describing the Lords as a "constitutional trip switch" capable of forcing a rethink of flawed legislation that has not received adequate scrutiny in the Commons. Anyone seeking to rewire the system, he argued, must consider whether a reformed second chamber would continue to provide that safeguard – or instead "blow a constitutional fuse". We also discuss the newly published report on Retirement and Participation in the House of Lords, which proposes a phased mandatory retirement age, requiring all Peers to retire at 80 by 2034, alongside a minimum participation requirement that could see inactive members removed from the House.

And with the new Burnham Government expected to emerge from its chrysalis next week, we ask whether the House of Commons should have postponed its summer recess to scrutinise the incoming Prime Minister. We explore the constitutional mechanics and political realities of appointing a new Government and consider what Parliament's priorities should be when MPs return in September to begin holding the new administration to account.
___

🎓 Learn more using our resources for the issues mentioned in this episode.

❓ Send us your questions about Parliament:

✅ Subscribe to our newsletter.

📱 Follow us across social media @HansardSociety / @hansardsociety.bsky.social

£ - Support the Hansard Society and this podcast by making a donation today.

Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Presenters: Mark D’Arcy and Ruth Fox
Producer: Richard Townsend

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nigel Farage has quit the House of Commons to force a by-election in his constituency. In a blistering attack on what he called the media “pile-on” and a political stitch-up by the Westminster establishment, he insisted that the “people of Clacton should be the judge of my actions.”

So, this week we dissect his “resignation” statement and ask whether he has a point. Is Farage the victim of an establishment determined to bring him down, or is he simply struggling under the weight of mounting scrutiny? We compare his case with other high-profile political controversies and examine whether his arguments stand up.

We also explain what his departure means for the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards’ investigation into his conduct. We explore the standards process, why the investigation is now paused, what happens if Farage wins or loses the by-election, and the range of possible outcomes if the investigation resumes.

Just before we began recording, Andy Burnham sent Labour MPs a lengthy leadership pitch promising a different style of government: a stronger voice for backbenchers, a more collaborative approach to policymaking, changes in the approach of the Whips' Office, and a renewed focus on Parliament itself. We analyse what he's proposing and what it might mean in practice.

Plus, we sit down with Labour MP Alex Sobel, Chair of the Fair Votes All-Party Parliamentary Group, to discuss his bid to amend the Representation of the People Bill to establish a National Commission on Electoral Reform. He explains why he believes proportional representation is essential to restoring trust in British politics, assesses the prospects for winning Labour over to electoral reform, and argues that the Government should go even further than the Rycroft Review recommendations to tighten the rules on political donations.
____

🎓 Learn more using our resources for the issues mentioned in this episode.

❓ Send us your questions about Parliament:

✅ Subscribe to our newsletter.

📱 Follow us across social media @HansardSociety / @hansardsociety.bsky.social

£ - Support the Hansard Society and this podcast by making a donation today.

Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

Presenters: Mark D’Arcy and Ruth Fox
Producer: Richard Townsend

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.