At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on Tuesday 28 October, Dr Mari Takayanagi will be discussing ‘The Speakers and the Suffragettes’. The seminar takes place on 28 October 2025, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. It is fully ‘hybrid’, which means you can attend either in-person in London at the IHR, or online via Zoom. Details of how to join the discussion are available … Continue reading The Speakers and the Suffragettes
Dr Philip Salmon looks at a key element of Parliament which we don’t usually have much opportunity to reflect on in our work on Victorian MPs and constituencies: the House of Lords. As he explains below, the upper chamber played a vital role in many important 19th century reforms and continued to wield significant influence even after the 1911 Parliament Act. The House of Lords … Continue reading The role and power of the Victorian House of Lords
The recent death of HRH the Duchess of Kent, who was married to the late queen’s cousin at York Minister in 1961, reminds us of her family’s long association with Yorkshire. This has included two brothers who served as archbishop of York and several members of her family who were elected to Parliament. Dr Robin Eagles considers the Worsley family’s connection with the north of … Continue reading Descended from a giant: the Worsleys of Hovingham
Concluding her series on the 1883 Corrupt Practices Act, Dr Kathryn Rix of our House of Commons, 1832-1945 project looks at the long-term consequences of this major reform. In the wake of the corruption and expense of the 1880 general election, Sir Henry James, attorney general in Gladstone’s Liberal government, oversaw a landmark piece of legislation which aimed to clean up Britain’s elections: the 1883 … Continue reading A ‘revolution’ in electioneering? The impact of the 1883 Corrupt Practices Act
Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Professor Wendy Ugolini of the University of Edinburgh. On 3 June she will discuss The Recording Angel and the expression of English Welsh identities during the First World War. The seminar takes place on 3 June 2025, between 5:30 and 6.30 p.m. It is fully ‘hybrid’, which means you can attend either in-person … Continue reading The Recording Angel and the expression of English Welsh identities during the First World War
At the IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar on 20 May 2025, Professor Katrina Navickas of the University of Hertfordshire will be discussing ‘The development of political processions and protest marches in London, 1780-1939’. The seminar takes place on 20 May 2025, between 5:30 and 6.30 p.m. It will be hosted online via Zoom. Details of how to join the discussion are available here. Protest marches in … Continue reading How did the routes of political processions and protest marches evolve in London during the nineteenth century?
Ahead of major pieces of legislation designed to reform the composition of the House of Lords, and our recent event ‘Reforming the House of Lords’ discussing the history of this tricky issue, Dr Emma Peplow, Head of Contemporary History, draws upon our Oral History Project to revisit the last time significant reforms were introduced. The House of Lords Act 1999 was the last major reform … Continue reading ‘A negative achievement’: Behind the scenes of the House of Lords Act 1999
For the past few months our Head of Contemporary History, Dr Emma Peplow, has been on Matt Chorley’s Radio 5live show every Thursday afternoon discussing the figures commemorated in Parliament Square. Here she shares some of what she has learned…. Even if the statues in Parliament Square are not ‘Made of Stone’, as the introductory music to our feature on Matt Chorley’s Radio 5live programme … Continue reading ‘Made of Stone’ (or not): Statues in Parliament Square
The History of Parliament Trust is looking for new volunteer interviewers to join its oral history project! Since 2011, the project has interviewed over 250 former members of parliament, creating, in collaboration with the British Library, a unique sound archive of British politics since 1945. To fill some regional gaps in our collection, the project is specifically looking for volunteer interviewers based in, or able … Continue reading Call for Volunteers: History of Parliament Oral History Project
Ahead of next Tuesday’s Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Dr Philip Aylett. On 25 February, Philip will discuss ‘Scrutinising Wartime Britain: The Commons Committees on National Expenditure 1917-20 and 1939-45’. The seminar takes place on 25 February 2025, between 5:30 and 6.30 p.m. It will be hosted online via Zoom. Details of how to join the discussion are available here. The two world wars … Continue reading Scrutinising Wartime Britain: The Commons Committees on National Expenditure 1917-20 and 1939-45
