Parliamentary Affairs Advance Access originally published online on June 6, 2007
Parliamentary Affairs 2007 60(3):492-509; doi:10.1093/pa/gsm029
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The Politics of Parliamentary Reform: Lessons from the House of Commons (2001–2005)
The 2001 parliament saw a renewed interest in Commons reform. Between 2001 and 2005 the House of Commons Modernisation Committee put forward several significant reports recommending changes to the select committees, sitting patterns, questioning of ministers and engaging with the public. The article examines the political factors that shaped the development and implementation of those reforms, and in particular assesses the role of the Leader of the Commons in managing the divergent expectations of MPs, committees, ministers and whips. It argues that too many analyses assume government conspiracy as the main blockage when reforms fail to get through, and therefore miss the inherently political nature of the process. In conclusion, it suggests five areas likely to have a bearing on the success or failure of proposed reforms. These include acknowledging the personal and political incentives that shape MPs' own attitudes to reform, and recognising that MPs are not necessarily the best defenders of parliamentary principle.