In 1647 at the end of the First English Civil War, soldiers and politicians gathered in Putney to debate the future of the nation. It was there, in St Mary’s Church, that Colonel Thomas Rainsborough summarised the radical, democratic position of the Leveller movement:
… for really I think that the poorest he that is in England hath a life to live as the greatest he; and therefore truly, sir, I think it’s clear, that every man that is to live under a government ought first by his own consent to put himself under that government; and I do think that the poorest man in England is not at all bound in a strict sense to that government that he hath not had a voice to put himself under.
Rather than soldiers and parliamentarians, on Friday 28 November 2025, it was students who filled the church of St Mary’s and gathered to watch online for their own version of the famous Putney Debates. In collaboration with the UK Parliament’s Learn with the Lords Programme, the Constitution Society was delighted to host them for a special Question Time event on the contemporary state of the UK constitution.
‘20 years since the Constitutional Reform Act, where does sovereignty lie in the UK?’ was the question put to the day’s panel of Lord Anderson of Ipswich, Baroness Butler-Sloss, Professor Andrew Blick and Lord Young of Cookham, ably chaired by Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green.
Perhaps the Levellers would have been disappointed to see the House of Lords still in existence over 370 years after many of them had proposed its abolition, but students from dozens of schools across the UK put the Peers, and the professor, to the question in their absence.
At a time when sovereignty, parliament and the judiciary are under increasing public scrutiny, it’s vital that school students have the chance to debate these issues and to engage directly with experts and legislators to help shape their views. The thousands of students participating in last Friday’s event did this admirably, and through thoughtful, detailed questions, they challenged the panel to defend the legacy of the Constitutional Reform Act and set out the complex position of sovereignty in the United Kingdom today.
Addressing the creation of the Supreme Court as part of the Constitutional Reform Act directly, the Bridge Academy, Hackney asked whether judges now played too large a role in deciding constitutional issues, beginning to shift sovereignty away from Parliament. Baroness Butler-Sloss acknowledged the shrewd question, but disagreed, instead arguing that the Court was correctly playing its role in interpreting legislation as set out by Parliament, but conceded this was on a now-elevated stage.
Lord Young was challenged by the Harrodian School, Barnes, over potential reform of the House of Lords, an apt subject given Lord Young had led efforts in 2010 to reform the Lords as Leader of the House of Commons. Lord Young argued that there were significant practical barriers, such as those he experienced in government, which made sweeping reforms difficult, but that much could be done by way of small, incremental reforms to improve the scrutiny function of our second chamber.
St Helen’s School from Northwood asked Professor Blick whether Brexit had enhanced the sovereignty of Parliament. In response, Professor Blick argued that while, in the normal order of the UK’s constitutional affairs, Parliament had previously delegated some decision making to EU bodies of which it was a part, it had nonetheless retained sovereignty throughout the UK’s membership. It was important to remember that Parliament itself had ultimately voted on a deal to leave and that sovereignty, or supremacy, in our constitutional system still resides with Parliament as a result.
Perhaps the most debated point of the day arose in response to Darrick Wood School’s question of whether the panel felt there was a benefit in codifying the UK constitution. Leading those in favour, Lord Anderson argued that there were many tangible benefits to the public in having a concise, written constitution, which citizens would be able to consult. Professor Andrew Blick added that codifying certain aspects of the constitution might usefully enshrine some important and positive customs and conventions to help future-proof UK democracy. Arguing against codification, Lord Young and Baroness Butler-Sloss felt that written articles had done little to prevent abuses of power, including in the United States of America, but had often reduced the flexibility of lawmakers, which had led to issues including constitutional protections on carrying firearms, to cite one example.
Baroness Hunt ensured the questions of a dozen schools were answered by the panel on a range of different aspects of the UK constitution. The calibre of question across the afternoon reflected the enthusiasm of the sixth form-audience and led to thoughtful contributions from the panellists.
Speaking after the event, the Constitution Society’s Education Officer, Emily Board, said:
With votes at 16 on the horizon, ensuring young people’s engagement in the pressing constitutional issues of our time is crucially important. The standard of engagement from the schools today was really impressive, and we hope that all the students enjoyed it as much as the panellists. It was great to work with our close partners at the UK Parliament’s Learn with the Lords programme on another successful event, and we hope to bring you more in the future.
In 1647 the Levellers took the remarkable step of demanding that all men in England should have a role in deciding the country’s governance. Given their demands did not extend to women, it’s unlikely they held the answers to modern constitutional questions. But nonetheless, the spirit of the Putney Debates and their continued legacy in inspiring public discourse is worth celebrating. Friday’s event was a fine contribution to that same legacy, made possible by thousands of students from across the UK. It’s a contribution the whole of the Constitution Society hopes can be repeated, and for those of you who weren’t able to see the Question Time event live, it’s now available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/V3vYV1lM_4s.
Dexter Govan.
Dexter Govan is Director of Research of the Constitution Society. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Edinburgh.
The Constitution Society is committed to the promotion of informed debate and is politically impartial. Any views expressed in this article are the personal views of the author and not those of The Constitution Society.