Join writer and comedian Meera Syal for Episode 2 as she meets the doorkeepers of the House of Lords and the House of Commons to find out what a typical day in Parliament involves.

Episode 2 - What Happens in Parliament?

Join writer and comedian Meera Syal for Episode 3 as she hears how Parliament uses questions and debates to check and challenge the work of the Government. Learn more about how members of the Commons and the Lords can use tough, unanticipated questions to grill Ministers during daily question sessions, and discover the important roles that the Speaker and the Lord Speaker play in the work of Parliament.

Episode 3 - Scrutiny: Questions and Debates

Join writer and comedian Meera Syal for Episode 4 as she steps away from the Chambers to discover another vital tool of Parliamentary scrutiny - influential 'select committees' of MPs and Peers who consider policy issues, check and challenge the work and spending of the Government, and examine proposals for new and changed laws. Meera's guests include The Rt. Hon the Baroness Corston, who talks about the committee she led, which investigated the problem of social mobility in young people.

Episode 4 - Scrutiny: Select Committees

Join writer and comedian Meera Syal for Episode 5 as she explores how Parliament most directly affects our lives - by creating and changing the law. Learn how draft laws are debated and improved as they make their way through the House of Commons and the House of Lords before they can become the law of the land, with the help of Parliament clerks Katy Stout and Nicole Mason.

Episode 5 - Making and Changing Our Laws

Join writer and comedian Meera Syal for Episode 6 to hear how you can get involved in your UK Parliament. From contacting your MP or a member of the Lords to sharing your views with a select committee, and of course by voting, you can have your say in how the country is run. Guests include Helen Jones MP, Chair of the House of Commons Petitions Select Committee, and Maria Lester, whose petition calling for increased funding for brain tumour research ultimately led to Government action.

Episode 6 - Get Involved

Welcome to this award-winning podcast series from the UK Parliament. In the series, writer and comedian Meera Syal guides you through the people and processes of the UK Parliament – what Parliament is, how Parliament scrutinises the work of the Government, and how you can get involved.

In this politically impartial series, Meera is joined by staff from the House of Lords and the House of Commons, including Regional Outreach Officers, Clerks, Committee Specialists and Doorkeepers, who talk about their roles and areas of expertise.

Guests also include Helen Jones, Chair of the House of Commons Petitions Select Committee, and Baroness Corston, Chair of the House of Lords Social Mobility Select Committee, who talk about the work of the committees they have led. Also featured is Maria Lester, whose petition calling for increased funding for brain tumour research led to a high profile debate in Parliament, resulting in government action.

Make sure you listen to the entire series, which has been nominated for a British Podcast Award 2018, and why not leave us a review too!

Parliament Explained

Popular tracks