Can the House of Commons handle multi-party politics?

The 2024 election delivered an unusually fragmented opposition; almost half the non-government seats in the House of Commons were won by parties other than the Conservative 'Official Opposition'. Given current polling, the next general election is unlikely to see a return to simple 'two-party' politics. In that context, does the Commons need to change its culture, practices, or procedures to better reflect an era of more fragmented politics? What particular challenges face smaller parties in the Commons? How can they maximise their impact? We discussed these questions with the Green Party's Westminster leader, a former senior Commons official, and an academic expert. Speakers: Dr Ellie Chowns MP – Green Party Westminster Leader and MP for North Herefordshire Paul Evans – former House of Commons clerk Dr Louise Thompson – Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Manchester Chair: Professor Meg Russell – Director of the Constitution Unit Links: Website: Mailing list: Blog: constitution-unit.com

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Can the House of Commons handle multi-party politics? is an episode from The Constitution Unit by The Constitution Unit.

This episode is 00:59:58 long.

This episode was published on Jan 19, 2026.

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