The Constitution Society
Working to promote informed debate about constitutional reform
The Constitution Society is an independent educational foundation which works to promote public understanding of the UK constitution. We monitor constitutional developments and proposals for change, and assess them against core constitutional principles.
Latest blog posts
Policy Squared? Consultations and the New Government
On 10 September 2026, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and First Secretary of State Louise Haigh MP issued a press release expressing the current government’s intention to do away with ‘needless “box-ticking” consultations’. The professed goal of this initiative is to limit delays in government delivery on policies and secondary legislation; as a related 7… [Read More…]about Policy Squared? Consultations and the New Government
Is There Life After Prime Ministerial Office?
On Thursday 8 October Holborn and St Pancras constituents elected a new Member of Parliament in a by-election caused by Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation (or more accurately ‘Taking the Chiltern Hundreds’). Starmer had been expected to stay in the Commons, and his departure was a surprise. He resigned on 20 July 2026 and then announced… [Read More…]about Is There Life After Prime Ministerial Office?
Who Decides? Policy, Discretion and Looming Judicial Review
In co-authoring the Current Survey section of the journal Public Law, I have been struck by how often questions about statutory discretion, executive policy and judicial review have arisen in the last year or so. The Current Survey is not a systematic study of every judicial review case, but it does provide a useful indication of… [Read More…]about Who Decides? Policy, Discretion and Looming Judicial Review
Democratic Scrutiny and the Windsor Framework: Where Are We Now?
The Windsor Framework (hereafter “the Framework”) was adopted in 2023 to regulate post-Brexit affairs in Northern Ireland. To avoid a hard land border on the island of Ireland the Framework requires Northern Ireland to remain aligned to certain rules governing the EU single market and customs union. This creates a democratic deficit, whereby Northern Ireland… [Read More…]about Democratic Scrutiny and the Windsor Framework: Where Are We Now?
When Is a First Minister Not a First Minister?
On 14 September, the leaders of the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin met in Cardiff to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on constitutional change. The document commits the parties to closer cooperation, affirms the right of their respective nations to self-determination and calls on the UK government to “prepare for, plan and facilitate constitutional change in… [Read More…]about When Is a First Minister Not a First Minister?
Latest publications
Brexit and the UK Constitution
Brexit and the UK Constitution is a concise edited collection from the Constitution Society surveying the impact of Brexit 10 years after the UK voted to leave the European Union. Made up of three essays from experts on immigration, the economy and regulation, the book is an impartial account of the consequences of Brexit for the… [Read More…]about Brexit and the UK Constitution
Brexit and Regulation
Professor Catharine Barnard and Joël Reland survey changes in regulation in the ten years since the EU referendum in this landmark report for the Constitution Society and the Federal Trust. They argue that in practice the EU and the United Kingdom are drawing closer together as a result of ongoing dependence on the EU market, capacity… [Read More…]about Brexit and Regulation
The Constitution in Review – Volume 2 Issue 3
The United Kingdom Constitution Monitoring Group (UKCMG), established in 2020, is made up of members with practical experience and academic knowledge of the UK constitution. Its formation was driven in part by concern about declining adherence to constitutional standards and principles in the UK. Those concerns proved to be more than amply justified by events… [Read More…]about The Constitution in Review – Volume 2 Issue 3