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
This report reconsiders the debate over electoral reform in light of recent developments in British politics. Looking beyond questions of ‘fairness’, it analyses the practical impact of the existing ‘First-Past-the-Post’ electoral system, and … [Read more...] about The Electoral System and British Politics by David Klemperer
In this paper, Professor Michael Kenny argues the case for a better understanding of the complex system of asymmetric devolution which has been introduced across the UK since the late 1990s. He identifies the demise of an older model of informal and … [Read more...] about How should the UK govern itself in the time of Brexit? by Michael Kenny
Since the failure of the Indicative Votes, many have proposed using the using preferential voting (the Alternative Vote) instead. However, this carries its own risks – strategic voting and a perverse winner. Majority Judgement would be … [Read more...] about Indicative Votes – would a different voting system be better?
