Do you see yourself as a future community or political leader? Would you like to develop your skills through a fully-funded, year-long programme? How often do you get the chance to be mentored by an MP? 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…

[from the Library website] 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…

Researchers and caseworkers tend to move from time to time- we know, we see the adverts  -so this guide from the Property Friend website may be of interest. Moving House Checklist

‘A House Rebuilt? Progress, governance and an agenda towards 2020′ In this “end of term” lecture organised by the Hansard Society the Speaker will set out the progress made in strengthening Parliament as a proper check and balance on the executive, reconnecting Parliament with the public and establishing the House of Commons, and its governance, as a modern and model public sector institution. He will then set out his ambitions for reform in the next Parliament after the general election. The event will be followed…

ParliOUT, the Workplace Equality Network (WEN) in support of LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual, and questioning) people in Parliament, has been named as one of the UK’s ‘Awesome Networks’ by Inclusive Networks. This is the second accolade within five months that ParliOUT has been awarded. Inclusive Networks is a hub for celebrating diversity and inclusion and has named 40 network groups of all types and from all sectors for its inaugural awards. The awards aim to celebrate the positive impact of network groups such…

All staff will no doubt be aware that there’s a General Election coming, and the outcome seems to be especially unpredictable.  In a new report form  for the Electoral Reform Society, Professor John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde uses polling data to demonstrate how relatively small shifts in support among the parties can have dramatic effects on the shape of the next Parliament, and therefore the next government. According to a post on the ERS blog: some of the outcomes predicted in this report seem…

A large-scale banners exhibition ‘The Beginnings of that Freedome’ will hang in medieval Westminster Hall until late November 2015. The exhibition covers eighteen themes related to the movements and moments which ‘made a difference’ in the journey to the rights and representation that are enjoyed today and is open to visitors who are attending the House to take a tour or watch a debate, attend an event or for ‘business reasons’. Further details  

The Department of Media and Communications at the LSE will host  a webcast lecture on Children’s Rights in the Digital Age by Professor Sonia Livingstone Date: Wednesday 11 February 2015 Speaker: Professor Sonia Livingstone Respondents: Jasmina Byrne, Professor Robin Mansell Time: 6.30-8pm GMT Join the conversation on twitter with the hashtag #LSEchildrights Are children’s rights enhanced or undermined by access to the internet? Charters and manifestos for the digital age are proliferating, but where do children fit in? Sonia Livingstone OBE is a Professor of Social Psychology in…

Parliament is a serious place, and the Palace of Westminster and constituency offices are filled with hard-working, dedicated professionals engaged in the important business of running the country. But even the most committed need time for rest and recuperation, space to kick back and unwind, and opportunities to take a sideways look at their workplace, employers and even their political masters. Our alt.guides offer a sidelong view of life working for an MP, and include a monthly cartoon from Hoby.