Amid the pomp and the catcalls from Dennis Skinner, last week’s Queen’s speech offered a defensive government a rare chance to gain political momentum. It is a statement on the coalition’s serial dysfunctionality that it proved unable to seize this opportunity. The sovereign’s offering was a decidedly unimpressive list of bills – on, for example, …

With election season upon us, the Easter parliamentary session is due to come to a close on Tuesday afternoon with the 17th century ceremony to prorogue the current parliament. This is the formal name given to the end of one parliamentary session and the state opening of the next, with all the pomp and regal …

On Tuesday afternoon the parliamentary estate will be beholden to a Hollywood star, admittedly in the-less-than salubrious surroundings of the home affairs select committee. The former drug addict, and all-round funny man, Russell Brand will find himself in the unusual setting of the Grimond Room, Portcullis House. Brand, who entered rehab for addiction to heroin …

Refreshed by their short break, MPs and peers return to the fray this week. It’s rather a slow week in the Commons with MPs seemingly easing themselves back in to work. The Commons has sent most of its significant bills on to the Lords, and will have little in the way of lawmaking to do …

Thursday 12 May will usher in the second anniversary since the formation of the coalition. A week after Cameron and Clegg had their now infamous press conference in the Downing Street garden, the four-page Coalition Agreement was published; a 36-page manifesto, a £6.2bn cuts programme and a 22-bill Queen’s speech.  2011 was the first year since …

After the pomp and prestige of Washington, David Cameron flew into Heathrow at the end of last week and immediately sped straight to his Witney constituency’s monthly surgery, an altogether far less glamorous affair. But after a week grandstanding on the world stage, and even of boasting of becoming the first prime minister to fly …

The prime minister is gearing up for his trip to America later this week but at home his government is facing several pressing concerns. The Afghan atrocity is sure to dominate today’s news but David Cameron will be looking ahead to the budget next week. The Quad of Cameron, Nick Clegg, George Osborne and Danny …

Trouble is seemingly never far away for this government. On health, Andrew Lansley has just been battered in the week past, but on welfare the government faces further assault in the week ahead. Iain Duncan Smith may be the quiet man of politics but what he proposes in welfare reform is anything but a moot …

The future of the United Kingdom, the economy placed on negative outlook, visits to the Vatican, Paris and Edinburgh – parliament may have been in recess last week but politics continued apace. They return to Westminster today facing a packed parliamentary agenda, not least the ongoing saga of Andrew Lansley’s NHS reforms. The beleaguered health …

After a truly septimana horribilis, Andrew Lansley will be grateful for the shelter of the February recess. Defeat in the Lords, receiving the deadly vote of confidence from the prime minister, reading in the Times that he ‘should be taken out and shot’ – some may not begrudge the health secretary’s mind wandering off to …