Last week Sir Patrick Vallance was appointed as the new Minister for Science. The appointment came as part of a popular move by the new government to bring outside expertise into departments. In Sir Patrick’s case, though, he has plenty of inside … [Read more...] about How does government make use of Chief Scientific Advisers?
Introduction My name is Keegan Clay Shepard and I am a Research Fellow at the Constitution Society where I am exploring the concept of democratic accountability within the NHS. In this blog I discuss the open consultation aimed at influencing … [Read more...] about Strengthening Democratic Accountability in the NHS: Opportunities in Constitutional Reform
Politics has moved frenetically in recent weeks. There has been the appointment of a new First Minister in Scotland, the drama of England’s local elections, and, inevitably, countless headlines over the Government’s Rwanda plan as it entered the UK … [Read more...] about Is the UK Subject to a Deep State? Liz Truss and the Civil Service
The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) is a division of government lawyers who specialise in drafting legislation and assist with its passage through the legislative process. The OPC is responsible for drafting all government bills, advising … [Read more...] about The Office of the Parliamentary Counsel: Functions, Comparisons, Criticisms
The current state of government contracting to the private sector may appear on the surface to be a niche concern. However, its significance should not be understated, with a recent HM Treasury report calculating gross spending by the Government on … [Read more...] about Will it simplify or obfuscate? The Procurement Act 2023
In March 2023, the Cabinet Office released an internal policy regulating the use of private communications channels. The policy discouraged the use of platforms such as private email, WhatsApp, or SMS for official government business. It superseded, … [Read more...] about Government by WhatsApp: a fetter on scrutiny?
On 17 January, the Cabinet Secretary to the Home Office sent a letter outlining the future direction of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill (‘the Bill’). In it, he confirmed that the proposed Guidance (‘the Guidance’) to be … [Read more...] about Expanding Ministerial Discretion by Eroding Human Rights: the Government’s Draft Guidance on Rule 39 Injunctions
Introduction The latest date the next UK General Election can be held is 28 January 2025. That must be called before 17 December 2024, when the Prime Minister must ask the Monarch to dissolve Parliament. The ‘pre-election period’ (previously … [Read more...] about The pre-election period: Purdah on the dancefloor
On 8 September 2022 Tom Scholar was removed from his position as Permanent Secretary to the Treasury by Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng. It was widely reported that the sacking of Scholar was a politically driven decision intended to rail … [Read more...] about ‘Politicisation’ of the Civil Service? The House of Lords Constitution Committee Reports
This is the final instalment of four pieces on the place and function of royal commissions, you can find the previous blogs HERE. Anyone who has listened to recent evidence coming out of the Covid Inquiry will be struck by just how … [Read more...] about Royal Commissions Part Four: Once and Future Royal Commissions?
In the first of this series of blogs I pointed out the surge of interest in, and demands for, Royal Commissions on various topics, even though they have not been used as an instrument of policy formation or constitutional reform for more than two … [Read more...] about Royal Commissions Part Three: Constitutional Reform
In a previous post I started to examine the hazy world of ‘Royal Commissions’ and similar bodies. Most commentators and analysts of such bodies maintained there was not very much difference between Royal Commissions and the many similar … [Read more...] about Royal Commissions Part Two: Government by Commission
