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
The authors argue that the British constitution seems to be in a more molten condition now than at any other point in anyone’s lived lifetime. The experience of Brexit has raised or reopened a host of questions. The British constitution is high on … [Read more...] about Brexit and the Melting of the British Constitution by Andrew Blick and Peter Hennessy
How resilient is our constitution? This question is becoming one of increasing pertinence in the UK. All democratic systems have within them protective mechanisms. One objective of these devices is to prevent abuses, such as violations of the rule of … [Read more...] about Populism and the UK Constitution by Andrew Blick
The UK’s debate on electoral reform is in need of historical perspective. Too often, the First-Past-the-Post electoral system (FPTP) used for Westminster elections is presented as a central part of a well-defined British democratic tradition … [Read more...] about Electoral Systems and Electoral Reform in Historical Perspective by David Klemperer
