In 2019 the Welsh Government published a document, Reforming our Union: Shared Governance in the UK. It reissued an updated version in 2021 in which the First Minister, Mark Drakeford, stated that: Too often we see the … [Read more...] about Welsh Devolution: The State of Intergovernmental Relations
Traditionally in Northern Ireland (or NI) mention of constitutional change has meant only one thing: United Kingdom (UK) vs United Ireland (UI). Known simply as ‘the constitutional question’, the issue to which this juxtaposition points – … [Read more...] about Northern Ireland and its (other) constitutional issues
In this blog I examine the formal mechanisms governing relations between the Senedd and the Welsh Government. I begin with a brief overview that explains how the Welsh institutions have developed since 1999. Then I consider developments in the most … [Read more...] about Inter-institutional partnership: the Senedd and the Welsh Government
The Deposit Return Scheme The Scottish Government’s quest to introduce the beleaguered Deposit Return Scheme (“DRS”) appears to be like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Originally, Scotland was due to launch the UK’s first DRS for drinks … [Read more...] about The Deposit Return Scheme and the UK Internal Market
The four constituent nations of the United Kingdom exist within a unitary state which is not underpinned by the transparent checks and balances of a formal written constitution. Many are appalled when they realise that the UK’s uncodified … [Read more...] about Renewing Intergovernmental Relations: The Case for Reform
The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons last Monday. The Bill seeks to ease the delays on goods being brought from Great Britain into Northern Ireland by ensuring only those destined for the … [Read more...] about On the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
Respect and Co-operation: Building a Stronger Union for the 21st century is the title of a recent report from the House of Lords Constitution Committee, which I chaired while it considered this important topic. The words in the report’s title are … [Read more...] about Respect and co-operation: building a stronger Union for the twenty-first century
The future of the UK Union is of increasing salience for British policy-makers. Against the backdrop of the twin crises of Brexit and coronavirus, speculation about its break-up has become widespread. With support for Scottish independence … [Read more...] about Union at the Crossroads: Why the British state must overhaul its approach to devolution
