As 2013 draws to an end, we’re looking back at another busy year at the History of Parliament, ready for another exciting year in 2014! Our five research sections have been busy as normal – not just researching but revising articles in preparation for publication dates. Luckily, some of them have found the time to share what they’re doing with you all on this blog. … Continue reading Review of the year 2013
One of the worst insults today thrown at Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans in the mid-17th Century House of Commons is that they ‘cancelled Christmas’ (although I’m sure some of you fighting in the shops or eating yet another mince pie may have some sympathy!) In this post, Dr Stephen Roberts, editor of the House of Commons 1640-1660 section, puts the record straight about the … Continue reading Parliament and Christmas during the Civil War
The Victorian Commons’ Dr Kathryn Rix reports back from our last ‘Parliaments, politics and people’ seminar of the term… This term’s programme for our ‘Parliaments, Politics and People’ seminar concluded with a fascinating paper from Dr. John Stevenson, of Worcester College, Oxford, on William Cobbett (1763-1835), marking the 250th anniversary of his birth. This renowned political journalist, social commentator and campaigner for parliamentary reform was … Continue reading ‘Parliaments, politics and people’ seminar – ‘Cobbett at 250: a failed MP?’
MPs’ social background has been making the news recently, after a study conducted by the Conservative think tank Policy Exchange demonstrated that only 4% of today’s MPs have been ‘manual workers’. Of course, for much of the period covered by the History of Parliament, MPs were largely members of the propertied elite. Some indeed rose from ‘humble’ beginnings; for example, James Morrison’s father was a … Continue reading Class and Parliament
Following last week’s blogpost about our 2014 conference, ‘Parliaments and Minorities’, today we have published an advanced notice of an exciting conference for 2015. The year 2015 marks two anniversaries of enormous significance in the history of English, and British constitutional and legal history: the 800th anniversary of King John’s acceptance of Magna Carta, the great charter of liberties of the English nation in 1215; … Continue reading ‘Making Constitutions, Building Parliaments’ Conference for 2015
Today’s blogpost is from a guest blogger, Edward Hicks, PhD candidate at St Anne’s College, Oxford who joined us over the summer as an intern. He takes a look at an issue that has been controversial over many years, and is again in the news: MPs’ pay… Yesterday, it was revealed that parliamentary watchdog Ipsa is set to recommend an 11% pay rise for MPs, … Continue reading MPs pay: the never ending controversy
Here at the History of Parliament, we have two exciting conferences coming up in 2014 and 2015. Here’s news of the first one: The History of Parliament Trust, in association with the Pears Institute for the study of Anti-Semitism, Birkbeck College, University of London, is convening a British Academy conference on ‘Parliaments and Minorities: Ethnicities, Nations and Religions in Europe, 1848-1948’ in May 2014. From … Continue reading ‘Parliaments and Minorities’ conference in May 2014
Our last ‘Parliaments, politics and people’ seminar travelled far from the British parliament to the Balkans, as Dr Jonathan Eagles spoke on ‘Stephen the Great and the Moldovan election crisis of 2009’. Dr Eagles’s recent book, ‘Stephen the Great and Balkan Nationalism: Moldova and Eastern European History’ looks at the life of the 15th century Moldovan king and his legacy in the Balkans. In his … Continue reading Parliaments, Politics and People Seminar: Stephen the Great and identity in the Balkans
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