Project Open Gov is now live, but it is still very much developing. The aim is not simply to publish more material. The aim is to make Parliament and government easier to understand, while keeping the site clear, neutral, source-based and useful.
Over the next week, we will be working on several improvements.
Improving the daily summaries
The daily summaries will continue to improve as we refine how we identify the most relevant material each day.
One of the challenges is the amount of information produced by Parliament, government departments, committees, bills, votes and official publications. The volume of material can be staggering, even on days that may not appear especially busy from the outside.
A useful summary is not created by copying everything into one place. It depends on careful selection: identifying what genuinely matters, removing duplication, avoiding unnecessary procedural clutter, and explaining the day in plain English.
That work will continue.
We also want to be clear about quieter days. If there is not much of public significance to report, we will not pad the summary with weak material simply to create a longer article or chase traffic. That is not the purpose of Project Open Gov.
The site is not being built to maximise clicks. It is being built to improve access to clear public information.
Expanding the glossary
We have identified more terms to add to the glossary.
The glossary is an important part of the site because Parliament and government use a lot of language that is familiar to specialists but not always clear to general readers. The aim is to make those terms easier to understand while people are reading, rather than forcing readers to search elsewhere.
New entries will be added gradually, especially where terms appear regularly in summaries, votes, bills or official announcements.
Linking votes to summaries
We are also working on linking the votes feature more closely to the daily summaries.
The aim is that, when a vote is mentioned in a summary, readers will be able to move easily from the summary to the detailed vote information. This should make it easier to understand not only that a vote happened, but also what MPs were voting on, what the result was, and how the vote fits into the wider parliamentary day.
This is one of the next important steps in connecting the different parts of the website properly.
Planning a bills tracker
We have also identified a new feature around bills tracking.
The intention is to make it easier to follow the progress of bills through Parliament, from introduction through the different stages and, where applicable, towards Royal Assent.
The official Parliament website already provides bill information, but we think Project Open Gov can help by presenting that progress in a clearer, more accessible way for general readers.
This will be implemented as soon as possible, but it needs to be done carefully so that the information remains accurate and useful.
Public polls — but with privacy first
We are continuing to work on the public poll feature.
The idea is to allow readers to respond to simplified versions of parliamentary questions or public issues, helping people engage more directly with what Parliament is considering.
However, this feature has to be developed responsibly. Privacy is a priority, and we do not want to rush out a polling tool without thinking properly about how information is collected, stored, displayed and explained.
That means the poll feature may take a little longer to get right. We would rather build it properly than build it quickly.
Guides and “How Parliament Works”
We have also started work on the guides and “How Parliament Works” sections.
This is an important part of the long-term purpose of Project Open Gov. The aim is to break down barriers in understanding and explain parliamentary processes in clear, practical language.
Topics may include how laws are made, what votes mean, how committees work, what statutory instruments are, how Lords amendments operate, and why some parliamentary debates matter even when there is no vote.
These pages will take time to build, but they are central to the project’s purpose.
A small operation, building carefully
Project Open Gov is currently a single-person operation. That means improvements will be made step by step, as carefully and consistently as possible.
The priority is to build something useful, trustworthy and sustainable rather than rushing features out before they are ready.
Suggestions are very welcome. If there is something you think would make the site clearer, easier to use, or more useful, please get in touch.
Project Open Gov will continue to develop openly, with the aim of making Parliament and government easier to follow for more people.