Select committees

‘Politicisation’ of the Civil Service? The House of Lords Constitution Committee Reports

By: Kate Dewsnip

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

Spotlight on the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee – Part 2

By: Tasneem Ghazi

Introduction In Part 1 of this piece I summarised the role of Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee (SLSC) and some trends that it had flagged during the last parliamentary session. Broadly speaking, these included: (1) a … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee – Part 2

Spotlight on the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee – Part 1

By: Tasneem Ghazi

In November 2021, two parliamentary committees declared that the use and overbreadth of delegated legislation had shifted power irreparably away from Parliament and that only a total “reset” would suffice. One of them, the Secondary Legislation … [Read more...] about Spotlight on the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee – Part 1

The purpose of legislative scrutiny

By: Kate Dewsnip

It is broadly accepted that parliamentary scrutiny of legislation is a ‘good’ thing and that, if possible, there should be more of it. It is also broadly accepted that it is often ineffective and wrongfully subverted. As a result, most commentaries … [Read more...] about The purpose of legislative scrutiny

Should there be a revolving door between the front bench and the committee corridor?

By: Andrew Kennon

The myth of an alternative career path for MPs – select committees rather than ministerial office – has finally been debunked by the Hansard Society. An excellent blog analysing movement between select committee chairships and ministerial office … [Read more...] about Should there be a revolving door between the front bench and the committee corridor?