HOW TO CREATE EFFECTIVE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTS
COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS AT 67th WESTMINSTER SEMINAR DISCUSS HOW TO CREATE EFFECTIVE PARLIAMENTS
Hon. James Duddridge, MP
is the Chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch (CPA UK). Since 2005, he has been the MP for Rochford & Southend East. Before politics, he pursued a successful business career in the private sector and was a banker with Barclays both in the City of London and in Africa, working in the Ivory Coast and Botswana. He was also a founding member of the highly successful national polling firm YouGov. He has held positions in government as a Government Whip and was Foreign Office Minister between 2014 and 2016.
Over the last year as Chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Executive Committee, I have enjoyed meeting and hosting delegations of Parliamentarians and clerks from around the Commonwealth who have visited the UK Parliament. It is always a pleasure to meet my Commonwealth counterparts and I always learn something from our time together. Last November, we had the pleasure of hosting over 70 Commonwealth Parliamentarians and clerks at the 67th Westminster Seminar, a five day programme of workshops in the UK Parliament organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch. The theme of the Westminster Seminar was ‘Effective Parliaments’, and all sessions were designed to help participants learn and share knowledge on best practice. I was struck by the enthusiasm of all participants and the wealth of experience they contributed from a wide range of countries, including The
70 | The Parliamentarian | 2019: Issue One | 100th year of publishing
Gambia, Canada, Seychelles and Pakistan. To have representatives from over 30 countries together for a whole week provides a rich opportunity for all. Many new friendships and networks grew out of the week. The first three days of the Westminster Seminar were tailored to meet the working needs of Parliamentarians and clerks, including sessions on communications, legislation and Committees. My opening session with my colleague, Rt Hon. David Hanson, MP was entitled ‘The Political Scene in Westminster’. Unsurprisingly, Brexit occupied much of the discussion. It was useful to reflect upon responses from delegates, as well as sharing our own different viewpoints. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch was also delighted to host His Excellency Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana and His Excellency Joaquim Chissano, former President of Mozambique, to talk about the importance of inclusive public health policy to prevent
Rt Hon. Andrea Leadsom, MP, Leader of the UK House of Commons summed up the Westminster Seminar when she commented: “The countries of the Commonwealth collectively create a network which is diverse in parliamentary structures and rich in knowledge. The Westminster Seminar brings together Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth to share their experience and best practice.”