What do we mean by 'parliamentarians'?
Parliamentarians includes MPs, Peers, Senior Staff and UK MEPs.
Why are Peers important to IPT's objectives?
The House of Lords is a fundamental part of the British democratic process, complementing the House of Commons and making up for some of its deficiencies. The role of the Peers is to scrutinise, amend and debate. The House of Lords can act as a proper opposition to the Government (where the minority party in the House of Commons often can not), introducing moderation and restraining extremism.
Peers are not professional politicians (even if they were once) but are in the House of Lords as a result of their expertise and experience, providing a diverse range of skills. The current House contains scientists, a sculptor, architects, a film producer, thriller writers, nurses, heads of charities, Chiefs of the Defence staff, surgeons, doctors, University heads, Professors of medicine, broadcasters, a meteorologist, farmers, business chiefs, bankers, accountants, lawyers - both solicitors and barristers - social workers, environmental scientists and a plethora of ex-Cabinet ministers, to name but a few.
Their life tenure gives them the freedom to say what they feel and to distance themselves from their party from time to time. Because they are not elected, they have the freedom to spend more time on both the scrutiny issues, going through the minutiae of bills in much greater depth than the House of Commons can achieve, and the longer term issues, being able to look further ahead than the next General Election. In addition, the House of Lords adds value to parliamentary debate, covering topics that MPs cannot or will not do, such as abortion and euthanasia.
Why are Senior Staff important to IPT's objectives?
The Clerks’ Department, the Library and the Department of the Official Report are mainly engaged with supporting the business of the House and its committees. Roles within the departments vary but broadly include:
- advising on parliamentary procedure, such as questions
- supporting the House and its committees in considering public and private bills, EU documents etc
- providing information and research to the House and its Members
- informing the legislative process and other types of debate
MPs and Peers rely on the wealth of experience and knowledge among the senior staff to support them in their everyday work. They themselves do not have the time to read up on every topic so they need the parliamentary staff to provide information, trusting that what they receive will be accurate and comprehensive. The senior staff provide the continuity required to keep the ever-changing parliamentary machine running. As a result, the clerks and other senior staff are some of the most influential figures in Parliament and key participants in IPT’s Fellowship programme.
