A collaboration of academics and parliamentary practitioners has resulted in a new book, the second edition of Exploring Parliament, which seeks to make what can sometimes seem like an arcane and impenetrable institution more comprehensible to students and the general public alike. In this post the book’s editors, Cristina Leston Bandeira, Alexandra Meakin and Louise Thompson, explain why the book is necessary, and what readers can expect from its second incarnation.

The publication of the second edition of our textbook, Exploring Parliament, is the culmination of three years of hard work and collaboration from an incredible group of authors. The book brings together 38 academics with 35 parliamentary practitioners, working together to share their expertise on Westminster and the devolved legislatures, bringing a fresh perspective on an evolving institution. 

Back in March 2018 we aimed, in the first edition of Exploring Parliament, to unpick and explain some of the parliamentary terms and processes within Westminster that we, as self-professed ‘parliament nerds’, sometimes take for granted. We had no idea that parliamentary procedure would soon take centre stage during the Brexit dramas of 2018-19, when prorogation — the end of a parliamentary session — would become the subject of an unprecedented Supreme Court ruling, following months of battles over humble addresses, amendments, and control of the Commons Order Paper. Then, just weeks after the UK’s eventual exit from the European Union, the House of Commons and House of Lords would face the different but similarly seismic challenge of operating during the Covid-19 pandemic. New procedures and practices would be developed at pace while MPs and peers adjusted to a legislature without the face-to-face informal contact that had been central to the institution’s operation. And then in autumn 2022, Westminster became the focus of much activity and attention during the mourning of Queen Elizabeth II. Since 2018 we have seen multiple new prime ministers and new political parties entering (and in some cases departing) the Commons, and the 2024 general election led to a record 335 new MPs. With more new faces than returnees on the green benches, a new generation of parliamentarians may lead to changes in how Westminster works—both formally and informally. 

It thus felt like the right time to revisit Exploring Parliament, to reflect the many developments since publication of the first edition, and to look forward to the future of the institution. Parliament remains central to our representative democracy and makes a real difference to people’s lives. But we know that, despite the attention devoted to Westminster in recent years, the public too often do not have trust in their parliament or feel represented by their parliamentarians. While previously obscure procedures may have become more well-known, they remain often poorly understood, and sometimes present an image of the institution that does not reflect the work carried out within. We hope that the new edition helps explore the UK parliament further, in order that its central role in our representative democracy can be understood and, where necessary, critiqued and reformed. 

The origins of Exploring Parliament date back to early 2014, when Philip Cowley first suggested that we bring together a large group of experts to write short pieces on aspects of the institution which would help to bring it to life. The existence of a Parliamentary Studies module (a collaboration between the UK parliament and universities), now taught at 23 universities, made this initial idea even more compelling (and many of those who currently teach on the Parliamentary Studies module have contributed to both editions of the book). The module demonstrated how successful partnerships between academics and parliamentary practitioners can be. It seemed that by bringing these two groups even closer together, through the collaboration on a book for students and the general public, we could present an image of parliament which only the combination of these two groups could achieve. This new edition of the book itself is rooted in a roundtable event during the Political Studies Association (PSA) annual conference in April 2022 in York, which brought together academics and clerks in the form of our brilliant panel: Farrah Bhatti (Chamber Business Team Strategic Director, House of Commons) Simon Burton (Clerk of the Parliaments, House of Lords), Sarah Childs (Professor of Politics and Gender at the University of Edinburgh) and Jack Sheldon (National Parliament Representative, House of Lords). Their insights, and the contributions of the attendees that day have shaped how we have built on the success of the first edition while bringing additional chapters on diversity and representation, and Westminster’s relationship with the devolved legislatures. 

Academia, just like parliamentary institutions, can be quite traditional and hierarchical. Wherever possible, we have tried to be inclusive in our approach and to cross traditional boundaries in terms of the authorship of our chapters, as we did in the first edition. The textbook therefore includes contributions from early career academics as well as professors, and both junior and more senior parliamentary officials from the House of Commons and the House of Lords, as well as the Welsh Senedd, in addition to esteemed retired academics and parliamentary staff. Many chapters have been co-authored by an academic and an official and as such, the book has also instigated new working relationships (and friendships) between members of these two, often very separate, communities.  

As a result, throughout Exploring Parliament readers can enjoy not just learning about how parliament works in theory, but also get a deeper understanding of how it works in practice, and this is aided by the inclusion of 29 case studies. The chapter on Parliament and Public Engagement, for example, is brought to life through an examination of how the public shaped policy on menopause: through a campaign led by Carolyn Harris MP, which included a private member’s bill, a survey where over 700 people shared their lived experience, a Backbench Business Committee debate, and a select committee inquiry, which all contributed to the government changing course. Case Study 24: Complicated casework demonstrates the range of interlinked concerns a constituent may bring their representative in the course of a single surgery appointment and proceeds to show where the MP can (and cannot) help. It reveals that how MPs (and their staff) work is often more subtle, and dogged, than stereotypes might suggest. The exploration of the House of Lords Appointments Commission in case study 26 offers a deep dive into just one of the challenges facing proponents of reform of the Lords. 

We hope that the combined expertise of our contributors throughout the new edition will help readers to not only make sense of the tumultuous recent past in Westminster but that the book will also help guide them through the significant changes expected in the near future. With the departure of the remaining hereditary peers expected in forthcoming months, and further Lords reforms indicated in the Labour manifesto, the size, shape and purpose of the Lords will continue to be up for debate. In the Commons, the renewed Modernisation Committee is committed to ‘driving up standards, improving culture and working practices and reforming procedures to make the Commons more effective’: opening the door to a new type of legislature. We don’t know what the coming years hold for parliament, but Exploring Parliament aims to support all students — past, present, and future — to make sense of it all.

Exploring Parliament, which contains contributions from Unit Director Meg Russell and other Unit contributors, is available now. To buy Exploring Parliament with 30% off, use the code WEBXSTU20 when ordering. 

A launch event for the book will take place on 15 May, involving a discussion of the book by an expert panel.

About the authors  

Cristina Leston Bandeira is Professor of Politics at the University of Leeds.  

Alexandra Meakin is Lecturer in British Politics at the University of Leeds. 

Louise Thompson is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Manchester.

Featured image: Westminster Hall (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by UK House of Commons.