Ruth Fox
@RuthFox01
Director @HansardSociety, working to make Parliament more effective. 🎧 Co-host of the Parliament Matters podcast: http://buff.ly/3WbeSiY
In a sea of political podcasts Parliament Matters offers a different take. Going beyond the political horserace & Commons theatre to focus on the action in Westminster that touches all our lives. Law-making, tax-raising & overseeing Ministers. ⬇️Subscribe podfollow.com/parliamentmatt…
The Govt has just published its latest sanctions regulations to tackle people smugglers. Thes are subject to the made affirmative scrutiny procedure. They come into force tomorrow but must be retrospectively approved by Parliament within 28 sitting days. legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/902/…
🌍 A world-first move from the UK. From tomorrow, people smugglers and those helping them can be hit with tough new sanctions - frozen assets, UK travel bans, and public exposure. We’re going after the networks fuelling this deadly trade, wherever they operate.
It's quite straightforward. I was stuck for over 4 hours in the car park yesterday. Your 1-way system is bonkers. Traffic leaving the hospital has to turn right onto Court Road across the traffic coming into the hospital. Reverse your 1-way system. No incoming traffic should be…
Following traffic & congestion issues caused by developer works on Hospital Approach, Chelmsford, the works have been paused & will be replanned. We will work closely together to ensure any future works have minimal impact on traffic going in & out of Broomfield Hospital.
Three and a half hours and still stuck in the hospital car park..it's like a bad dream. And others have been here longer. How many staff could not get in or out this afternoon? How many appointments have been lost. How many people's treatment has been affected? Complete disgrace.
Traffic chaos outside Broomfield Hospital @MSEHospitals in Chelmsford today is a complete disgrace. Cars trapped in the hospital car park for over two hours due to total gridlock caused by minor roadworks on the main access road – with no traffic management in place at all.…
Traffic chaos outside Broomfield Hospital @MSEHospitals in Chelmsford today is a complete disgrace. Cars trapped in the hospital car park for over two hours due to total gridlock caused by minor roadworks on the main access road – with no traffic management in place at all.…
📣 Tomorrow: Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer faces questions from the House of Commons Liaison Committee. Will select committee chairs press him on the super-injunction and the @DefenceHQ data breach? Stay tuned – this is an important test of parliamentary accountability.
📣 What’s coming up in Parliament this week? Stay ahead of the big debates & decisions with our Parliament Matters Bulletin. 🗓️ Your weekly guide – in your inbox every Sunday. 📩 Get ahead before the week begins → buff.ly/V2K6kZj
NEW EPISODE 🎙️ A secret Afghan data leak, an unprecedented super-injunction & big questions over parliamentary accountability. @JoshuaRozenberg joins us this week to discuss the legal and constitutional fallout. Listen now 👇buff.ly/5419E8b
WEDNESDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? ❔ Prime Minister's Questions 🪑 Foreign Secretary and Work and Pensions Secretary appear at select committees 💼 Peers scrutinise the Employment Rights Bill Read more 🔽 buff.ly/Oh54DAB
Looks like we'll see the Bill to implement the UK-Mauritius Agreement on the Chagos Islands today. By convention, the Government cannot ratify an international agreement until the necessary legislation is implemented.
TUESDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? 🔵 Conservative Opposition Day on taxes and welfare 🔋 Energy Security and Net Zero oral questions 🔴 Peers debate Renters' Rights Bill Read more 🔽 buff.ly/UpxiksV
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MONDAY: What's coming up in Parliament today? 🧑⚖️ Deprivation of Citizenship Orders Bill 🪖 E-petition debate on Northern Irelanr veterans 🏠 Deputy PM Angela Rayner faces oral questions 💼 Peers debate Employment Rights Bill Read more below🔽 buff.ly/T50EBUY
An amendment paper for the universal credit and PIP Bill has been published. 11 amendments and 1 new clause tabled by the Government including a change to the Bill's title publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill…
Worth noting that if the Govt presses ahead with Committee, Report & 3rd Reading next Wednesday (9 July) then Government amendments to the Bill must be tabled by the rise of the House tomorrow (2 July).
The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill amendment paper has been published, and includes Government amendments. The amendment below will change the name of the Bill to the "Universal Credit Bill".
Today will be written up as Govt chaos, but it should also be a wake up call 1. Parliament matters 2. MPs are not lobby fodder 3. Govts should not hardwire symbolic intentions and fiscal rules into law 4. The way our laws are made is not fit for purpose in a 21st century economy
Worth noting that if the Govt presses ahead with Committee, Report & 3rd Reading next Wednesday (9 July) then Government amendments to the Bill must be tabled by the rise of the House tomorrow (2 July).
Mix of MPs reaction in the chamber. Some say they'll vote for it now and change and improve later. But LOTS say Gov should pull the whole thing now as there's not much really to vote on now... PIP removed, and all kicked down the road for another day... Clear some still don't…
One of the problems with the No 10 operation is that the PM does not have a Bruce Grocott figure. His PPS team is under-powered compared to Blair's first term. I'm biased because Bruce was my boss, he appointed me Director @HansardSociety, but he has the best political antennae,…
This is an excellent & useful insightful comparison of similar events from QMUL colleague @richardmarcj. Blair showed leadership but didn’t bear grudges. Corston went on to share PM PPS duties with Bruce Grocott. @UnHerd unherd.com/2025/06/what-s…
There's a debate on an unspecified Statutory Instrument related to terrorism on Wed. The procedure is explained in our Parliament Matters Bulletin. It's the 3rd item of main business after MPs vote for an Armed Forces Commissioner & to keep a standing army!…
I understand the Home Secretary still intends to lay the order in Parliament today, with debates / votes in the next few days, before proscription on Friday if parliament agrees.