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Good review and analysis of the UK #Parliament petition system by C Leston-Bandeira blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpol…

✍️ A fantastic contribution to our blog from C Leston-Bandeira and Louise Thompson looking at Westminster Hall debates in the UK Parliament 🗣️🇬🇧 📰 Read about their ongoing research here: psaparliaments.org/2025/01/05/wes…

🚨 New ModParl interview! 🚨 We spoke with C Leston-Bandeira, a leading expert on legislative modernization, about the future of parliaments, citizen engagement, and the role of AI in democracy. 🏛️🤖 A thread 🧵⤵️

C Leston-Bandeira 1️⃣ Cristina has worked with parliaments for 30+ years. She highlights how legislative institutions have evolved—from closed spaces to increasingly visible and scrutinized bodies, thanks to the internet and social media.

C Leston-Bandeira 2️⃣ One major challenge? Many parliaments still struggle to engage with citizens between elections. Too often, participation is limited to voting, leaving citizens disconnected from day-to-day decision-making.

C Leston-Bandeira 3️⃣"The way that parliaments can become more relevant to people is by talking about the issues that matter to people," Cristina says. It’s not about processes—it’s about discussing the topics that truly impact people's lives. This is what brings citizens into the conversation.

C Leston-Bandeira 4️⃣One key lesson: Institutionalizing modernization is crucial. If reforms depend only on a few enthusiastic politicians, they risk disappearing when those individuals leave office. Long-term change requires buy-in from the institution itself.

C Leston-Bandeira 6️⃣AI is both an opportunity and a challenge for parliaments. It can help simplify complex legislative language, summarize citizen input, and improve accessibility, but many parliaments aren’t fully digitized yet, creating a growing gap.

C Leston-Bandeira 7️⃣Cristina emphasizes the need for “slow politics” —spaces where deliberation and meaningful discussions can occur, rather than reactive, polarized debates fueled by 24/7 media cycles.

C Leston-Bandeira 8️⃣How can parliaments bridge the gap with citizens? She suggests embedding parliaments in society—through education, partnerships with civil society, and outreach programs like youth parliaments and mobile legislative initiatives.

C Leston-Bandeira 9️⃣Finally, she raises a critical concern: Will AI widen the gap between well-resourced, tech-savvy parliaments and those struggling to keep up?

C Leston-Bandeira 🔟Cristina’s insights show that the key to modernizing parliaments isn’t just technology—it’s making them more relevant to citizens' daily lives. Read the full conversation here: modparl.substack.com/p/cristina-les…

🧵 What's the point of petitions? The public are more likely to sign a petition than to engage in most other forms of democratic activity apart from voting. MPs are currently debating an e-petition which seeks to ban social media companies from...1/

...letting children aged under 16 create social media accounts. It has been signed by over 128K people. Petitions are a valuable mechanism to bring ordinary voices to the heart of national debates. The report by C Leston-Bandeira, Richard Huzzey ...2/

C Leston-Bandeira Richard Huzzey and Anna Bocking-Welch & Henry Miller highlights why petitions have been such a popular form of political participation and how they have adapted to changes in technology, society and culture. Read it here ⬇️ ENDS buff.ly/41wc2qI

Congratulations to C Leston-Bandeira Louise Thompson and Dr Alexandra Meakin, and all SPG members who have contributed to the 2nd edition of Exploring Parliament. Available to buy now 👇 global.oup.com/academic/produ…