Northern Ireland was at the heart of the protracted UK-EU withdrawal negotiations and the solution that was eventually reached – the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland – has proved controversial. It has caused economic, social and political … [Read more...] about Northern Ireland and Brexit: An Explanation by Lisa Claire Whitten
First Report from the United Kingdom Constitution Monitoring Group The first report from the UK Constitution Monitoring Group (UKCMG) covers the six-month period from 1 January to 30 June 2021. It analyses legislation, decisions and events during … [Read more...] about The Constitution in Review
The May elections have prompted increased interest in the idea of an electoral pact between Opposition parties, aimed at defeating the Conservatives. It seems likely that an agreed objective of this kind of a pact would be electoral reform, moving to … [Read more...] about Electoral pacts and the constitution by Andrew Blick
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. Boris Johnson’s administration has so far … [Read more...] about Union at the Crossroads: Can the British state handle the challenges of devolution? by Michael Kenny, Philip Rycroft and Jack Sheldon
Can Select Committees influence a company's environmental, social and governance credentials? In this paper, Stanley Kwong examines the role of House of Commons Select Committees in scrutinising companies on their sustainability records and … [Read more...] about Climate Change and Democratic Representation by Stanley Kwong
This new report from the Policy Reform Group offers the expert analysis of Sir Thomas Legg, Lord Stephen Green, and Sir Martin Donnelly on the constitutional challenges facing the United Kingdom. These highly-experienced, former senior practitioners … [Read more...] about Constitutional reform: Sustaining a viable United Kingdom through the 21st century by Thomas Legg, Stephen Green and Martin Donnelly
The legal system is a crucial feature of the UK constitution. It has recently become a subject of controversy. The current government was re-elected in December 2019 on a commitment to inquire into the role of the courts in reviewing the actions of … [Read more...] about The legal system of England and Wales by Thomas Legg
Conventions play an important role in many aspects of the UK constitution. Covering the period up to the end of 2019, this paper considers the. operation of conventions within the UK Parliament. It concludes that, in recent years, many … [Read more...] about Parliamentary Conventions by Jacqy Sharpe
The constitution after coronavirus Dr. Andrew Blick King's College London; Senior Adviser, The Constitution Society The coronavirus emergency is profound in its constitutional implications. They involve both the immediate response and the … [Read more...] about The Constitution After Coronavirus – discussion paper by Andrew Blick
This report examines the interaction between organisational structures within Britain's two major political parties, assessing the influence this can have on political direction and behaviours. The UK's arcane electoral system has resulted in the … [Read more...] about The Inner Workings of British Political Parties by Ben Westerman
A Constitution Society report, ‘Good Chaps No More? Safeguarding the Constitution in Stressful Times’ by Andrew Blick and Peter Hennessy argues that recent turbulence affecting the British system of government has revealed flaws that require urgent … [Read more...] about Good Chaps No More? Safeguarding the Constitution in Stressful Times by Andrew Blick and Peter Hennessy
This report argues that there is an urgent case for updating the 2015 Recall Act to allow constituents to recall Members of Parliament as part of a package of wider democratic reforms. The author holds that Recall is not a magical solution … [Read more...] about Watching the Watchmen: The Growing Case for Recall Elections and Increased Accountability for MPs by Sam Goodman
