Robert Spankie, who was returned for Finsbury in 1832, had an unusual pre-parliamentary career. Dr Martin Spychal, Senior Research Fellow on our House of

Although first constructed in the 11th century, Westminster Hall still stands tall as an important building within the modern-day Houses of Parliament. As Dr

This post from our assistant editor Dr Kathryn Rix was first published on the Parliamentary Archives: Inside the Act Room blog, which has many more articles to read on parliamentary history, from t…

Legend told that the tower had been funded out of a fine levied on a judge for accepting a bribe. Whether that was so or not, during the reign of Henry VI

In 1736, however, Walpole suffered a rare miscalculation and was unprepared for the almost unanimous opposition that the bishops presented against his

In an era of religious extremists and violent conviction-politicians such as Oliver Cromwell, Edward Lord Herbert of Cherbury seemingly stands out as an

Matthew Wood (1768-1843) represented London as a radical reformer between 1817 and 1843. From 1832 he was a committed advocate of metropolitan legislation and an active figure in the committee corr…

As the election results were declared in each constituency at this month’s general election, they were swiftly collated by the media to give an assessment of the overall balance of power with…

It is one of Westminster's many traditions that, when an MP is elected to the role of Speaker of the House of Commons, they must show reluctance to accept the

Dr Simon Payling explores the choice of Sir Richard Vernon as Speaker in 1426.

This month marks the 40th anniversary of my appointment as Professor of Government at the University of Hull. To mark the anniversary, a reception was held at the House of Lords on Tuesday (15 Sept…

This blog, which explores the parliamentary context of the abolition of slavery, is based on Michael’s full-length seminar paper, ‘The West India Interest and Colonial Slavery in Parliament,…

I have attended the Hull University summer degree ceremony covering Politics every year since 1979.  On several occasions, I have acted as the presenting officer for an honorary graduate.  On one o…

September’s MP of the Month is Sidney Herbert, who was born on this day (16 September) in 1810 and widely expected to become a Victorian prime minister. Fate, however, cruelly intervened, as …

Who created the modern game of lawn tennis? As Dr Naomi Lloyd-Jones discusses, one possibly surprising 19th-century pioneer could have been Sir William Hart

A quick list from Hansard

One of the highlights of the 1997 general election was the contest in Tatton. The Conservative Neil Hamilton, then under a cloud of corruption allegations,

Following on from our post about James Abercromby’s highly-charged partisan election as Speaker in 1835, Philip Salmon explores the 1839 and 1841 elections of his successor Charles Shaw Lefev…

On Thursday (10 September), the Centre for Legislative Studies at the University of Hull held a conference on Rediscovering One-Nation Conservatism: the life, work and legacy of Stanley Baldwin. Th…

Who was Oliver Cromwell? explores the parliamentary career of Oliver Cromwell: the highlights, the controversies and the posthumous legacy of this divisive figure. Learn more about his early…

A successful Deptford timber merchant, Peter Rolt rose to eminence as a dockyard contractor and became one of the greatest of London’s shipbuilders. He was elected as Conservative MP for Greenwich …

There are always some MPs who defy convention and become something of an institution in the House. Many are respected, even fêted, for their idiosyncracy. Some though, for one reason or another, fi…

As Easter weekend - late this year - approaches, Dr Robin Eagles, Senior Research Fellow in the House of Lords 1660-1832 section, discusses the timing of

Our Victorian MP of the Month is the Conservative MP for Devonshire South, Montagu Parker. His correspondence with his mother between 1835 and 1841 provides a fascinating perspective on life at Wes…

Have you just heard that an MP has resigned by ‘taking the Chiltern Hundreds’? Our Senior Research Fellow, Dr Martin Spychal, explains the practice and

This is the first article in a new series for the Victorian Commons on Peter McLagan (1823-1900), by Dr Martin Spychal, Senior Research Fellow on our House of

The name of Albert Grant will not be known to many, although he was one of the most famous entrepreneurs of mid-Victorian England. A pioneer of ‘mammoth company promoting’, his career had much in c…

Dr Kathryn Rix looks at the House of Commons chamber in use until the fire of 1834.

Today marks the anniversary of the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act receiving royal assent. But why was this bill necessary 26 years after the passing of the 1807

On this day in 1857, a shocking and tragic accident took place on the moors above Ashway Gap, near Saddleworth. One of Oldham’s recently elected Liberal MPs, James Platt, was shot dead by his close…

Of all the bizarre voting qualifications in operation before 1832 – from potwallopers to burgage holders – one of the most striking was the