When the Labour government came to power and needed to deliver on its manifesto promise to ‘deepen our democracy by reforming Parliament’, it reached for a familiar tool. On 25 July 2024, MPs voted to establish the new, improved House of Commons … [Read more...] about Parliamentary Modernisation: The Long and Winding Road
On 2 June 2025 the Prime Minister stood before journalists at a press conference in Glasgow to trumpet the Government’s Strategic Defence Review. As a result of the Review, up to 12 new nuclear-powered submarines will slip into the water from … [Read more...] about The Speaker’s War: Announcements in the House of Commons
One of the most significant constitutional developments since 1997 has been the rise of the parliamentary select committee. As a scrutiny mechanism, these bodies have become ever more prominent, with chair positions an increasingly attractive … [Read more...] about Is it Time to Reform the Intelligence and Security Committee?
On 30 May 2024, Parliament was dissolved in anticipation of the upcoming general election. While the Government must continue all essential business, convention requires the exercise of restraint with respect to any new or controversial policy … [Read more...] about How do parliamentary committees improve our democracy?
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
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
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
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
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?
In evidence at the joint session of the Commons Select Committees on Science and Technology and of Health and Social Care, Dominic Cummings promised to provide confidential documents for the Committees in respect of the government’s handling of … [Read more...] about Official Secrets Act and Parliamentary Privilege
Asked if the prime minister, Boris Johnson, is a fit and proper person to get us through the COVID-19 pandemic, the former chief advisor to the prime minister, Dominic Cummings, replied: ‘No’. This damning verdict was given as part of evidence to the … [Read more...] about Cummings on stage: what does it tell us about select committees?
After a protracted inquiry, begun originally in 2016 by its predecessor committee, the Commons Select Committee of Privileges has produced its report, entitled ‘Select committees and contempts: clarifying and strengthening powers to call for persons, … [Read more...] about Report of the Committee of Privileges: Select committees and contempts
