FIELD WORK IN THE UK PARLIAMENT MAY-JUNE 2016

I have just returned from an exciting period of SPIR-supported field work in London. My seven weeks working from the UK Parliament (with occasional visits to University College London) coincided with a tumultuous time in UK politics. Although my research is related to the management of parliaments rather than their political outcomes it was impossible not to get caught up in EU referendum fever, nor to feel part of the outpouring of grief following the tragic death of Jo Cox, member of parliament for Batley and Spen.

As a former official in the Australian and ACT parliaments I had a number of contacts in the UK Parliament whom I approached for help but I was not expecting such a high level of cooperation and assistance from the clerks, parliamentary managers and members of parliament in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Rt Hon. John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, was particularly engaging, offering his time and insights into the complexities and challenges of being at the head of such an iconic institution. (Here is the point at which I’d have liked to insert a selfie of me and Mr Speaker in his splendid office but I was keen to maintain a scholarly profile, hence no celebrity pics).

I did however obtain a “pavement” ticket to the procession preceding the State Opening of Parliament so here is the view from the sidewalk. And, yes, that’s the Queen in there.

Thanks to SPIR-approved funding I was able to take advantage of all the facilities for post-graduate students offered by Goodenough College (formerly London House). The college caters for international post-graduate visitors and offers a very secure, comfortable and convenient place to stay and study.

It’s not surprising that with the Queen as its patron Goodenough participated enthusiastically in her 90^th birthday celebrations—lots of cake and Pimms and some fancy hats. It would have been churlish not to join in.

Notwithstanding the photos it was not all cakes and ale (or Pimms). There were lots of interviews, lots of reading and lots of learning. The very helpful Commons and Lords Library staff facilitated some serious pre-internet Library research as I traced the history of management reforms in the two Houses of the UK Parliament.

And those responsible for the increasingly complex task of managing the parliament and meeting the expectations of its members and the public were happy to talk about the challenges they face.  All in all, this was a very rewarding experience. Now to transcribe those 32 interviews……

Val Barrett, 5 July 2016