Adam Dant appointed as Election Artist

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The House of Commons has selected artist Adam Dant as the nation’s official Election Artist, commissioned by the Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art to document the processes and outcomes of the 2015 General Election.

He will travel around the United Kingdom observing electioneering in the run up to polling day and some of his initial sketches will be shared on parliamentary social media channels during the election period. His final, completed work will join the Parliamentary Art Collection later in 2015.

Adam Dant is known for his monumental narrative ink drawings which approach British culture, politics and ideology with a rich vein of satire in the tradition of Rowlandson and Hogarth.

Collecting CVs of Parliamentary Candidates

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Democracy Club has set up a website where they are collecting CVs from as many candidates as possible, and it may be something you want to check out.

They point out that sending a CV is usually the very first step of a job application, and believe that it should also be the first step when people apply to become an MP.

Full details over at Democracy Club CV – and you can upload your member’s CV there if they are up for it.

Register to vote by 20 April!

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The deadline for registering to vote in the general election taking place in May is approaching. If you wish to vote, you must be registered by Monday 20 April 2015, meaning there are now just four weeks left to register.

You can register online on the UK Government website or complete a registration form and return to your local Electoral Registration Office by post.

The deadlines for applying for a postal vote (Tuesday 21 April) and applying for a proxy vote (Tuesday 28 April) are also approaching.

And, if you wish to stand as a candidate in the general election, your nomination papers must be delivered by Thursday 9 April 2015.

From the Parliamentary Website

Understanding the darknet: POSTnote

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A very small proportion of websites use sophisticated anonymity systems, which allow their operators to conceal their identity if they wish to. This part of the web is commonly referred to as the darknet. The darknet helps citizens to protect their security and privacy and to circumvent censorship. It also facilitates organised crime, such as the billion dollar drug market known as Silk Road. This POSTnote discusses the challenge of preventing such crimes without compromising the other uses of anonymity technologies.

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology has recently published a POSTnote on the subject, which you can download as a PDF.

POSTnote:The darknet and online anonymity

 

Teaching teachers about Parliament…

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Teachers’ Institute: 29 June – 3 July 2015

The Education Service will be hosting the next Teachers’ Institute residential course in Westminster, 29 June – 3 July 2015, and applications are now open.  The Teachers’ Institute is a unique professional development opportunity, enabling teachers to experience Parliament in action during an informative, interactive and unforgettable week based at the Houses of Parliament.

Transport and accommodation costs are covered for all delegates, and applications are welcome from teachers and other professionals working with children aged 7-18 across Citizenship, Politics, Law, History and other related subjects.

Apply by 31 March at www.parliament.uk/teachers-institute

Parliament Revealed

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The Hansard Society has published a new online resource, Parliament Revealed, which claims to offer ‘an insider’s guide to one of the oldest parliamentary democracies’ – that would be ours.  It does this by ‘speaking directly to MPs, Peers and Staff who serve there’, so we imagine some of you will be featured.

While we’re sure everyone working for an MP is fully aware of the minutiae of Parliamentary procedure and has little to learn from a  resource aimed at the general public, or any interest in learning all about Parliament in 30 minutes – as below – it may be something to point friends and family to when they ask ‘so what do you actually do all day?’

A House Rebuilt? Speaker to lecture on March 2

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A House Rebuilt?  Progress, governance and an agenda towards 2020

Monday March 2, 6pm, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, Westminster
Chaired by: Dr Ruth Fox, Hansard Society

In this “end of term” lecture given to the Hansard Society, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, will outline his thoughts on the significant challenges facing the next Parliament, in particular the implementation of changes to the leadership and future governance of the House service, the restoration and renewal of the parliamentary estate, the unfinished work of the Wright Committee, and implementation of the Digital Democracy Commission.

The Lecture will be followed by a Q&A session

To attend contact comms@hansardsociety.org.uk

ParliaMentors 2015

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3FF is looking for future community or political leaders to take part in a fully-funded, year-long programme developing leadership skills. ParliaMentors is a UN Award winning leadership programme where teams of university students of different faiths and non-religious beliefs collaborate to create real social change while being mentored by a local MP.

Through expert-led training, support from local and national NGOs and opening up access to Westminster, ParliaMentors gives students the networks and skills they need to affect real change in their communities, in their careers and in the political arena.

The programme involves the chance to:

  • See politics in action: Gain a unique insight into the political process while being mentored by MPs and Peers.
  • Create social change: Work in mixed-belief teams to create social action projects with support from leading charities.
  • Develop leadership skills: Learn through direct experience, expert-led training workshops and events.
  • Build networks: Create new professional and personal links and join our 300-strong global network of young leaders.

This year applications are only open to the following nine universities:

  • SOAS University
  • Queen Mary
  • University of Manchester
  • Salford University
  • University of Nottingham
  • Nottingham Trent University
  • University of Birmingham
  • Birmingham City University
  • Coventry University

For more information and to access the online application form click here: www.3ff.org.uk/parliamentors

ParliaMentors runs alongside the academic year, starting in September 2015 and running until June 2016. Applicants must be a current student in the next academic year to apply. The deadline for applications is Friday 27th March, places are limited.

For any questions that are not answered by our video or FAQs then please get in touch at mentoring@3ff.org.uk or call us on 0207 485 1350.

 

Library Briefing on Election Timetable

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Since the general election in 2010, when Parliament was dissolved by prerogative powers and the election timetable lasted 17 days, two pieces of legislation have made changes to the triggering of, and timetable for, a general Parliamentary election.

The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 fixes the date of the next general election as 7 May 2015, and provides for five year intervals between elections. The Act ends the prerogative power of dissolution. The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 made provision for lengthening the UK Parliamentary election timetable, both for general and by-elections. These provisions have been brought into force and Parliament will have to be dissolved 25 rather than 17 days before the general election on 7 May 2015. The by-election timetable will now also vary between 21 and 27 days from the issuing of the writ. For further details see Library Standard Note 6609, By-election timetables.

A brief outline of the timetable for the 2015 General Election is provided in this Note. Parliament will be dissolved on Monday 30 March 2015, Day 0 of the timetable, for polling day to be on Day 25, Thursday 7 May 2015. The Electoral Commission has recently published full details of the timetable for 7 May 2015 on its website.

Read the Briefing Note (pdf)