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.