The election of a new Speaker is a moment of opportunity to refresh Parliament’s culture and perception, writes Ruth Fox

Alain Tolhurst brings you the latest titbits from the corridors of power

Since the summer the Liberal Democrats have picked up no fewer than seven defecting MPs. How did the defections come about, and what does their arrival mean for the future of the party and British politics? Charlotte Henry speaks to them to find out 

Chris Elmore talks to Georgina Bailey about why access to cash via Post Offices is vital for constituencies across the country

It must be maddening for those hoping to get straight answers, but Boris Johnson's modus obstandi is devastatingly effective, writes Patrick Kidd 

"The fact that I have become immune to the threats on my life is not where I thought I would be when I arrived in Westminster" 

Welfare claimants are resorting to prostitution as a result of a system that is pushing them further into poverty, writes Frank Field MP

Extra funding will fail to make a difference unless ministers correct the flaws in this dysfunctional system, writes Robert Halfon MP

“I can see that the current Government muddle is indicative of Johnson’s opportunistic tumbleweed style of governing”

Having made a name for himself on the backbenches as a committed ecological campaigner, Zac Goldsmith now finds himself sitting around the Cabinet table. As Extinction Rebellion gathers around Westminster, does the minister for environment and international development have more in common with those on the streets than his government colleagues?  He talks to Anoosh Chakelian

New legislation will affect farmers for decades to come. We need a UK-specific agricultural policy that champions environmental, animal welfare and food standards, writes Kerry McCarthy MP

We won’t beat obesity by limiting personal freedom. Instead, government should equip people to make better lifestyle choices, writes Ben Bradley MP