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
Will Burnham’s Government Revolutionise ESC Rights in the UK?
When the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, it originally planned to adopt a single treaty to implement the rights within it. However, political disagreements and other factors prompted the UN to instead create two treaties, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and… [Read More…]about Will Burnham’s Government Revolutionise ESC Rights in the UK?
‘Off the Table’? The New Prime Minister and Northern Ireland
During his first official visit to Northern Ireland as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham declared that a referendum on Irish unity was “off the table”. His immediate priorities, he explained, were public services, the cost of living and the effective operation of devolved government. The remark produced sharply different reactions. Nationalist politicians accused Burnham of attempting… [Read More…]about ‘Off the Table’? The New Prime Minister and Northern Ireland
The Hillsborough Law: Where Are We Now?
Following its successful passage through the House of Commons in July, the Hillsborough Law (formally known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill) is due to commence its legislative journey through the House of Lords in the coming weeks. As such, it seems like an opportune moment to take stock and reflect on the Bill’s aims and… [Read More…]about The Hillsborough Law: Where Are We Now?
Can the Prime Minister Really Reform the Whips?
Having never been hunting, I’m not sure whether I’m meant to like the ‘whips’ or not. In his Memoirs of a Fox Hunting Man, Siegfried Sassoon writes of them fondly enough, though: Soon afterwards the second whip rode through the undergrowth encumbered with spades, and they took their coats off in the dappling sunshine for a… [Read More…]about Can the Prime Minister Really Reform the Whips?
Andy Burnham and a Written Constitution: Is the Time Arriving?
In his 1952 book, In Place of Fear, the Labour politician Aneurin Bevan described how as a ‘young miner in a South Wales colliery, my concern was with the one practical question: Where does power lie in this particular state of Great Britain, and how can it be attained by the workers?’ The quest for the… [Read More…]about Andy Burnham and a Written Constitution: Is the Time Arriving?
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