On 13 November the (relatively new) Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced the government’s intention to abolish Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales. The dramatic and unexpected announcement made some bold claims – that the PCC … [Read more...] about With PCCs abolished, who polices the police?
As set out by UCL’s Tasneem Ghazi in a recent post on the Constitution Society blog, petitions have a long history in British democracy. Their meaning and role, however, have changed over time. This is particularly true in local government, where – … [Read more...] about E-petitions in local government: revitalising citizen engagement in democracy?
The electronic petitions process enables members of the public to submit a formal request calling upon Parliament or the Government to undertake some form of action. On 6 January, Parliament debated an electronic petition calling for another general … [Read more...] about Are Online Petitions Useful? Parliamentary Petitions in UK Democracy
Last month, ahead of the party’s annual conference, Nigel Farage MP announced that he intends to ‘give up ownership of Reform UK’. This news follows a period of sustained media interest in, and scrutiny of, Reform’s atypical legal status. Unlike … [Read more...] about How to Constitute a Political Party
The starting gun on the next general election has yet to be fired, but party apparatchiks have already spent years fighting a hidden campaign: not over votes, but cold, hard cash. As party HQs woo the wealthy, party members across the country have … [Read more...] about Reforming Party Funding: No Silver Bullets
“It would really be simpler and more economical to keep a flock of tame sheep and from time to time drive them into the division lobbies in appropriate numbers”[1] So Christopher Hollis MP notoriously lamented in 1949 because MPs so rarely voted … [Read more...] about Institutional Incentives for Dissent? Rebellion in Parliament under First-Past-the-Post
On 23 March 2020, during a televised broadcast to the nation, the Prime Minister announced the Government’s intention to impose an immediate ‘stay at home’ order on the entirety of the UK. During the broadcast it was made clear that these new … [Read more...] about The Dangers of Governance by Guidance
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
What to say about the UK's whipping system, apart from the fact that one of Boris Johnson's former aides has just made it the subject of what the Guardian describes as a 'Jilly Cooper-esque satire'? My research for the Constitution … [Read more...] about Cracking the whip: the UK’s party control system
On Monday evening I left the Constitution Society offices and made my way amid freezing winter temperatures to Westminster. Along with a couple of thousand other people, I stood rapt opposite Downing Street and listened to speakers in opposition to … [Read more...] about The right to strike and protest
Plunging into the pond of parliamentary hierarchy, looking for loci of power, one discovers an extraordinary system. On examination it appears to be constructed of bullying, blackmail and bribery. Some of our elected representatives are, it seems, … [Read more...] about “Almost never discussed”: inside the UK whipping system
In our ever changing political and constitutional landscape, England has remained an often-forgotten anomaly. In the past two decades, constitutional reforms have seen Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales all gain significant autonomous … [Read more...] about Ending England’s democratic deficit
