The general election of 2015 answered conclusively, to the surprise of most commentators, the question, ‘Who governs Britain?’ by yielding a single-party government with an overall majority in the House of Commons. But it did not answer two of the … [Read more...] about The Crisis of The Constitution : 2nd Edition
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Parliament and Party Politics
Labour and the electoral system: The myth of defeat and the chimera of victory
The political commentariat comprehensively failed to predict either the Conservative victory in the May general election or the emergence of Jeremy Corbyn as the eventual victor of the Labour leadership contest. Following a perhaps inappropriately … [Read more...] about Labour and the electoral system: The myth of defeat and the chimera of victory
A United Kingdom Constitutional Convention
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Reform, Decentralisation and Devolution in the UK has published its paper 'A Parliament for Reform 2015-2020' The paper includes the following proposed wording for inclusion in the manifestos of all parties at … [Read more...] about A United Kingdom Constitutional Convention
How not to change the constitution
Much of the media commentary on the Scottish referendum and its aftermath has focussed on the apparent poor judgement of the Westminster elite - and the prime minister in particular – in the negotiation of the Edinburgh Agreement and the subsequent … [Read more...] about How not to change the constitution
After the Referendum, Options For a Constitutional Convention
This publication was produced in partnership with Unlock Democracy. The pamphlet argued that, whatever the result of Scotland’s independence referendum, careful constitutional thinking would be needed. It examined how such constitution-making should … [Read more...] about After the Referendum, Options For a Constitutional Convention
Unconstitutional Democracy?
Democratic legitimacy and the concentration of power Diagnosing the problem There is a very widespread view in Britain that our political culture is dysfunctional. According to the survey carried out for the Hansard Society’s 2013 Audit of … [Read more...] about Unconstitutional Democracy?
APPG Constitutional Developments Under the Coalition – Podcast
The Constitution Society provides organisational and secretarial support for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the British Constitution, chaired by Lord Norton of Louth. The Group works to broaden legislators’ knowledge base and improve the … [Read more...] about APPG Constitutional Developments Under the Coalition – Podcast