This special issue of Parliamentary History explores the relationship between spaces, soundscapes and political culture in the British Parliament between the late fourteenth century and the present day

• Experts in parliamentary history, political science, architecture and acoustics assess the influence of the pre- and post-1834 Palace of Westminster on the debate, procedure, ceremonial and identity of the two Houses of Parliament
• Running themes include the layout and acoustics of the Commons chamber, women’s access to politics, the Palace of Westminster as national icon and symbol of democracy, and the challenges of maintaining a historic building as the modern national legislature
• This volume draws on the research of the ‘St Stephen’s Chapel Westminster’ and ‘Listening to the Commons’ projects funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council at the University of York, in partnership with the UK Parliament.

J.P.D. Cooper is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of York. Since 2013 he has been principal investigator of the AHRC-funded projects ‘St Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster’ and ‘Listening to the Commons’.

Richard A. Gaunt is Associate Professor in History at the University of Nottingham and the joint editor of Parliamentary History.