It’s fair to say that the creation of elected PCCs – that’s Police and Crime Commissioners – didn’t get off to the best of starts. Introduced under the Coalition government, these new politicians were first elected back in 2012. Prior to polling … [Read more...] about Police and Crime Commissioners need your vote next month
The UK now has seven living former Prime Ministers, a first in modern history. All of these individuals receive certain benefits, like publicly funded allowances and security protection. Given some of this current cohort are still in their forties … [Read more...] about On the hook: should we fund former Prime Ministers?
Matthew Heathcote is a Constitution Society research fellow, his report “The City and Federalism: the UK and Germany” will be published next week on 18 March 2024. Over the last year, I've had the privilege to research and write on the potential … [Read more...] about Out next week: “The City and Federalism: the UK and Germany”
It is ironic that one of the greatest pieces of constitutional reform and improvement in the UK – the Representation of the People Act 1832, and its partner acts the Irish and Scottish Reform Acts of 1832 – was also the vehicle for restricting the … [Read more...] about International Women’s Day
Introduction This is a blog about the constitutional issues at stake when it comes to the self-selecting memberships of political parties choosing party leaders and thus Prime Ministers.[1] As this blog is being drafted, there is some … [Read more...] about Choosing party leaders
Collective responsibility is a constitutional convention which has existed since the eighteenth century aiming to unite ministers so that they speak with one voice when facing a monarch and the public. The principles behind this convention were born … [Read more...] about The transformation of collective responsibility
It felt like the King’s Speech should have been a bigger event. I was sat watching the King and Queen arrive in Westminster from my office window. I refused an offer to go see him close-up that morning and instead opted out for a packet of Walkers … [Read more...] about A King’s Speech fit for a dying government
The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) is the Government’s centre of expertise, infrastructure and major projects. It gave HS2 an ‘unachievable’ rating in its latest Annual Report, where it noted huge issues around budget, … [Read more...] about HS2 and the constitutional issues of infrastructure
As the leaves turn and the days grow shorter, the United Kingdom can hear whispers of change in the air as it enters a new season – party conference season. This annual tradition, which stretches back more than a century, sees the major political … [Read more...] about Conference season: Four constitutional questions that parties need to answer
In many countries the independence of the central bank is a constitutional priority, explicitly laid out and safeguarded in the supreme law of the land. Kenya’s constitution, for example, declares that the central bank ‘shall not be under the … [Read more...] about The Bank and the constitution
Over the past few years growing concerns have been expressed about weaknesses in the United Kingdom’s constitutional arrangements. In response to the upheavals generated by Brexit, the draconian measures necessitated by the Coronavirus pandemic and … [Read more...] about Two Approaches to Constitutional Vulnerability
Referenda have been a controversial topic in the UK for the past decade and some of the most heated debate has revolved around the issue of repeating a referendum. In what circumstances is it legitimate to push for a second referendum on a topic? How … [Read more...] about Does ‘no’ mean ‘not now’? Exploring the perceived legitimacy of repeat referenda
