Election alert and the year ahead in Parliament: Why are so many election rules being changed?

Parliament Matters

What should be on your radar when Parliament returns on 8 January 2024? Exploring the year ahead in Parliament, we discuss how the uncertainty about the date of the general election may affect scrutiny of the new laws proposed by the Government.

Once the Prime Minister has decided on the date and asks the King to dissolve Parliament, some of these new laws may get pushed through Parliament in super-quick time during what is known as the ‘legislative wash-up’. But is this a good way to make new laws? And what influence do MPs and Peers have if time for scrutiny is squeezed?

When the election is called, it is vital that the rules and processes underpinning the general election campaign are free and fair to all sides. But the Chair of the Electoral Commission recently issued a warning about the risk of election failure. So, we explore what is happening with our election infrastructure, what changes are currently going through Parliament, and what the political parties think about them.

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Parliament Matters is a Hansard Society production supported by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust • Produced by Luke Boga Mitchell, Hansard Society

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