Alex Parsons
@alexparsons.bsky.social
Democracy Programme Lead / Senior Researcher - mySociety/TheyWorkForYou. Also for some reason Postman Pat reviews.
Pinned
Alex Parsons
@alexparsons.bsky.social
· Mar 4
WhoFundsThem
Building better information about money in politics.
whofundsthem.com
Today we've added some new features to TheyWorkForYou and launched an accompanying report about money in politics. See more at whofundsthem.com
Reposted by Alex Parsons
Yes the combination of "don't publish nil returns" and "don't publish names *with* interests" seems odd. In the march version only about 20% of entries had interests.
Expanding the list raises security and safety concerns for constituency staff who are not currently identifiable by name, unless they or the MP choose to do so.
The decision of the committee is that in expanding the list, they remove staff names from the list and replace them with job titles.
The decision of the committee is that in expanding the list, they remove staff names from the list and replace them with job titles.
January 16, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Yes the combination of "don't publish nil returns" and "don't publish names *with* interests" seems odd. In the march version only about 20% of entries had interests.
Reposted by Alex Parsons
Really pleased that @ecprtheloop.bsky.social have published my blog setting out my research around how well politicians understand which issues matter to voters, why they sometimes get it wrong, and how this misperceptions play out in real life decisions theloop.ecpr.eu/how-well-do-...
How well do politicians understand what matters to voters?
Politicians need to have a good understanding of which issues matters most to voters. Chris Butler reports from a recent survey of politicians that
theloop.ecpr.eu
January 16, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Really pleased that @ecprtheloop.bsky.social have published my blog setting out my research around how well politicians understand which issues matter to voters, why they sometimes get it wrong, and how this misperceptions play out in real life decisions theloop.ecpr.eu/how-well-do-...
Yes the combination of "don't publish nil returns" and "don't publish names *with* interests" seems odd. In the march version only about 20% of entries had interests.
Expanding the list raises security and safety concerns for constituency staff who are not currently identifiable by name, unless they or the MP choose to do so.
The decision of the committee is that in expanding the list, they remove staff names from the list and replace them with job titles.
The decision of the committee is that in expanding the list, they remove staff names from the list and replace them with job titles.
January 16, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Yes the combination of "don't publish nil returns" and "don't publish names *with* interests" seems odd. In the march version only about 20% of entries had interests.
Reposted by Alex Parsons
For 10 years, we've convened a global community, with a shared interest in how digital tools can defend and advance democracy, via our TICTeC conference. Now we're surveying the current state of affairs to provide applicable learnings for all. Join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shifting-l... .
Shifting landscapes: What we’ve learned from TICTeC - Report launch event
Exploring how digital tech and AI is being used to defend and advance democracy, inspired by insights from the global TICTeC community.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
January 16, 2026 at 11:30 AM
For 10 years, we've convened a global community, with a shared interest in how digital tools can defend and advance democracy, via our TICTeC conference. Now we're surveying the current state of affairs to provide applicable learnings for all. Join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shifting-l... .
Good to see Full Fact banging the drum for regulation of election advertising. fullfact.org/documents/39...
January 16, 2026 at 10:39 AM
Good to see Full Fact banging the drum for regulation of election advertising. fullfact.org/documents/39...
Reposted by Alex Parsons
New report: Leaky Pipes - what we learned about where candidate donation data comes from research.mysociety.org/html/leaky-p...
Leaky Pipes
Improving election donation disclosure processes
research.mysociety.org
January 15, 2026 at 10:47 AM
New report: Leaky Pipes - what we learned about where candidate donation data comes from research.mysociety.org/html/leaky-p...
Been having waves of sadness about this this week. Deeply unfair and a very kind and generous man
January 15, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Been having waves of sadness about this this week. Deeply unfair and a very kind and generous man
Reposted by Alex Parsons
Something curious about this moment is that for the last 15 years congressional Republicans have railed against "tyranny" for all sorts of things that a Democrat in the White house tried to do.
"Forcing Americans to switch to more expensive electric stoves is straight up foolish and tyrannical."
"Forcing Americans to switch to more expensive electric stoves is straight up foolish and tyrannical."
January 15, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Something curious about this moment is that for the last 15 years congressional Republicans have railed against "tyranny" for all sorts of things that a Democrat in the White house tried to do.
"Forcing Americans to switch to more expensive electric stoves is straight up foolish and tyrannical."
"Forcing Americans to switch to more expensive electric stoves is straight up foolish and tyrannical."
New report: Leaky Pipes - what we learned about where candidate donation data comes from research.mysociety.org/html/leaky-p...
Leaky Pipes
Improving election donation disclosure processes
research.mysociety.org
January 15, 2026 at 10:47 AM
New report: Leaky Pipes - what we learned about where candidate donation data comes from research.mysociety.org/html/leaky-p...
Writing notes for this now - come along to listen to a fun and educational rant about the different thresholds for public transparency depending how you gave money
Join us as we launch our latest report, on where crucial data on election donations gets lost in the system.
A free, online event - reserve your spot here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mysociety-...
A free, online event - reserve your spot here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mysociety-...
January 14, 2026 at 11:12 AM
Writing notes for this now - come along to listen to a fun and educational rant about the different thresholds for public transparency depending how you gave money
Reposted by Alex Parsons
Join us as we launch our latest report, on where crucial data on election donations gets lost in the system.
A free, online event - reserve your spot here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mysociety-...
A free, online event - reserve your spot here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mysociety-...
January 9, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Join us as we launch our latest report, on where crucial data on election donations gets lost in the system.
A free, online event - reserve your spot here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mysociety-...
A free, online event - reserve your spot here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mysociety-...
"No such thing as a Gruffalo, not on our watch"
This implies the existence of *unlicensed* Gruffalo trails and I’m very much here for the cop show based on the unit tackling them.
January 12, 2026 at 1:56 PM
"No such thing as a Gruffalo, not on our watch"
Reposted by Alex Parsons
This has been added to our open letter collection and MP profiles votes.theyworkforyou.com/statement/co...
Seven Select Committee Chairs have written jointly to the Prime Minister calling for an explicit ban on cryptocurrency donations in the forthcoming Elections Bill.
This is not an argument about digital assets. It is an argument about democratic integrity.
This is not an argument about digital assets. It is an argument about democratic integrity.
January 12, 2026 at 9:56 AM
This has been added to our open letter collection and MP profiles votes.theyworkforyou.com/statement/co...
Hello old and new followers. Important news: it's my birthday. Can't unfollow me on my birthday.
January 12, 2026 at 9:07 AM
Hello old and new followers. Important news: it's my birthday. Can't unfollow me on my birthday.
On the state capacity arguments, this is one of the arguments that comes out of the democratic perspectives compass (full write-up gets further away each time I write a thread).
January 9, 2026 at 9:41 AM
On the state capacity arguments, this is one of the arguments that comes out of the democratic perspectives compass (full write-up gets further away each time I write a thread).
Reposted by Alex Parsons
New year, new register. All data viewable and downloadable through the link.
A new House of Commons register of interests has been released and uploaded to TheyWorkForYou https://www.theyworkforyou.com/interests
Register of Interests
Making it easy to keep an eye on the UK’s parliaments. Discover who represents you, how they’ve voted and what they’ve said in debates.
www.theyworkforyou.com
January 6, 2026 at 12:46 PM
New year, new register. All data viewable and downloadable through the link.
And there is a little red dot there votes.theyworkforyou.com/decisions/di...
January 7, 2026 at 4:39 PM
And there is a little red dot there votes.theyworkforyou.com/decisions/di...
Loose thought that the approach we use for "What are people writing to MPs about" would also work well for "themes in parliamentary questions" research.mysociety.org/html/wtt-ins...
WriteToThem Insights
Learning more about different kinds of constituent communication
research.mysociety.org
January 7, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Loose thought that the approach we use for "What are people writing to MPs about" would also work well for "themes in parliamentary questions" research.mysociety.org/html/wtt-ins...
I've quickly done a pivot table on this by department (discrepancy in overall numbers *I think* is my dataset doesn't have withdrawn questions) data.mysociety.org/datasette/?m...
🧵Sky News has a piece running today about a big increase in written parliamentary questions. @samcoatessky.bsky.social says a
senior government source has suggested MPs may be using AI to submit written questions to ministers.
news.sky.com/story/number...
senior government source has suggested MPs may be using AI to submit written questions to ministers.
news.sky.com/story/number...
Number of written questions to government departments doubles in a year
A senior government source has suggested MPs may be using AI to submit written questions to ministers.
news.sky.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:50 PM
I've quickly done a pivot table on this by department (discrepancy in overall numbers *I think* is my dataset doesn't have withdrawn questions) data.mysociety.org/datasette/?m...
I'm broadly a pro regulatory state guy - but talking about people hiding behind regulators does make it slightly harder to say "OFCOM's job, what do you want from me" www.gov.uk/government/s...
January 7, 2026 at 1:58 PM
I'm broadly a pro regulatory state guy - but talking about people hiding behind regulators does make it slightly harder to say "OFCOM's job, what do you want from me" www.gov.uk/government/s...
Still thinking this through, but I think our recommendation to the procedure committee is: government should adopt a convention that if a parliamentarian resubmits a failed question as an FOI, this is taken as being the internal review stage.
3/ One issue is the quality of answers. Too many are frankly poor. There’s also a growing habit of not answering MPs’ questions at all, only for the information to surface later via an FoI request.
January 7, 2026 at 12:21 PM
Still thinking this through, but I think our recommendation to the procedure committee is: government should adopt a convention that if a parliamentarian resubmits a failed question as an FOI, this is taken as being the internal review stage.
Reposted by Alex Parsons
🕵️ Who's lobbying your politicians?
Our Open Access database reveals 163,000+ Westminster and Holyrood meetings with external organisations since 2012.
Search who's meeting with key ministers from fossil fuel companies to think tanks.
Explore the data ⤵️
openaccess.transparency.org.uk
Our Open Access database reveals 163,000+ Westminster and Holyrood meetings with external organisations since 2012.
Search who's meeting with key ministers from fossil fuel companies to think tanks.
Explore the data ⤵️
openaccess.transparency.org.uk
Open Access UK: monitor lobbying meetings with Government
Who’s #lobbying the UK Parliament? Check Open Access UK
openaccess.transparency.org.uk
January 7, 2026 at 10:03 AM
🕵️ Who's lobbying your politicians?
Our Open Access database reveals 163,000+ Westminster and Holyrood meetings with external organisations since 2012.
Search who's meeting with key ministers from fossil fuel companies to think tanks.
Explore the data ⤵️
openaccess.transparency.org.uk
Our Open Access database reveals 163,000+ Westminster and Holyrood meetings with external organisations since 2012.
Search who's meeting with key ministers from fossil fuel companies to think tanks.
Explore the data ⤵️
openaccess.transparency.org.uk
Reposted by Alex Parsons
We've been looking into money in politics for a while now. Come along next week to hear about what we found out about the donations system, why it's, er, not great, and how we can fix it!
Join us as we launch our latest report, identifying the points where crucial data on election donations gets lost in the system.
This is a free, online event, part of our WhoFundsThem project looking into money in politics. Reserve your spot: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mysociety-... #democracy #anticor
This is a free, online event, part of our WhoFundsThem project looking into money in politics. Reserve your spot: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mysociety-... #democracy #anticor
January 6, 2026 at 2:40 PM
We've been looking into money in politics for a while now. Come along next week to hear about what we found out about the donations system, why it's, er, not great, and how we can fix it!
New year, new register. All data viewable and downloadable through the link.
A new House of Commons register of interests has been released and uploaded to TheyWorkForYou https://www.theyworkforyou.com/interests
Register of Interests
Making it easy to keep an eye on the UK’s parliaments. Discover who represents you, how they’ve voted and what they’ve said in debates.
www.theyworkforyou.com
January 6, 2026 at 12:46 PM
New year, new register. All data viewable and downloadable through the link.
Miriam seems much more reasonable as time goes on youtu.be/iwqN3Ur-wP0
January 5, 2026 at 7:34 PM
Miriam seems much more reasonable as time goes on youtu.be/iwqN3Ur-wP0