After the experience of a bruising election campaign, a new Parliament is a chance for a fresh start. For new Members of Parliament (MPs), taking their seat in the House of Commons is powerful, emotional, and memorable. But the day-to-day of parliamentary life doesn’t always match these lofty first impressions. So while a new Parliament is a time to look forward, it is also useful to look back to recognize what was achieved in previous Parliaments and to learn from what went wrong. This report conducts the first in-depth, objective examination of the 42nd Parliament (2015-2019), based on three dimensions of an effective Parliament: high-quality scrutiny of Government, healthy partisanship within and between parties, and civil and constructive debate. Compared to previous Parliaments, the data shows:
The report concludes with recommendations from MPs for the new Parliament to:
After the experience of a bruising election campaign, a new Parliament is a chance for a fresh start. For new Members of Parliament (MPs), taking their seat in the House of Commons is powerful, emotional, and memorable. But the day-to-day of parliamentary life doesn’t always match these lofty first impressions. So while a new Parliament is a time to look forward, it is also useful to look back to recognize what was achieved in previous Parliaments and to learn from what went wrong. This report conducts the first in-depth, objective examination of the 42nd Parliament (2015-2019), based on three dimensions of an effective Parliament: high-quality scrutiny of Government, healthy partisanship within and between parties, and civil and constructive debate. Compared to previous Parliaments, the data shows:
The report concludes with recommendations from MPs for the new Parliament to: