NEW BLOG: The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and filibustering in the House of Lords
@lisajames.bsky.social looks at how delay tactics work in the Lords, and what peers could do to stop individuals using procedure to block bills.
*Representation of the People Bill update*
Steve Reed has just announced: 'We will repeal in full the power for government to impose a strategy and policy statement on the Electoral Commission'.
A very welcome change. I set out last week why it was needed.
constitution-unit.com/2026/02/26/t...
Very cool to see the cover design for my forthcoming (first) book with
@routledgebooks.bsky.social
Available for pre-order in a few months time :)
Lords chamber
A new Lords committee has been set up to consider a participation requirement for members of the House, plus a retirement age.
The Retirement and Participation Committee wants to hear from people with an understanding of the Lords.
➡️ Share your views by 26 February https://orlo.uk/iL4Qa
Happy last sitting day of 2025 everyone - glad we had that promised parliamentary vote on the way forward for R&R before the end of the year...
If you use the Unit's research, come to our events, or interact with us in any other way - we want to know what you think!
What do you like about our work? What are we missing? What should we keep doing, and what could we do better?
Take our survey below 👇
New from @alexgathomas.bsky.social and I on the missed opportunity of the covid inquiry's module 2 report to dig deeper into how decisions were made in government during the pandemic
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/covi...
Join and help to lead the Constitution Unit!
@uclspp.bsky.social is looking for a Lecturer in British and Comparative Politics who will also join our senior team and contribute to our research and impact activities.
Applicants must have, or be near to finishing, a PhD.
Apply 👇
This is a fascinating topic and a great panel - really looking forward to watching!
The latest edition of our triannual constitutional review is now available!
Monitor 91 warns that 'changes feel timid and reluctant in the face of serious threats' and explains what is happening across the constitutional spectrum.
Read it 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo....
Or browse our thread 👇
New post: Tyranny, anarchy and the rule of law: Reflections on a major report by the Constitution Committee
publiclawforeveryone.com/2025/11/20/t...
We @conunitucl.bsky.social submitted evidence on this topic, looking at the steps government and parliament could take to help make the legislative process more effective, and the importance of political culture:
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevide...
The @houseoflords.parliament.uk Constitution Committee report on the rule of law is now out.
It's good to see the committee include legislative scrutiny as a key means of upholding the rule of law (and mention some recent problems with quality of scrutiny).
committees.parliament.uk/committee/17...
Good thread on what looks like a rather unusual appointment process all round 👇
I did a lecture on the impact of Brexit on British politics. Watch it here if you're really bored www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztqL...
New @instituteforgovernment.org.uk comment from me
The chaos surrounding the grooming gangs inquiry last week highlights much deeper problems with the way the government sets up public inquiries
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/groo...
Some - cautious - good news on the govt’s civil service gagging rules
Nick Thomas-Symonds has written to us rowing back on the worst aspects: “it is important for civil servants to speak in public about matters for which they have responsibility”
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/welc...
NEW BLOG: How does politics work in Northern Ireland?
@lisajames.bsky.social, @conorjkelly.bsky.social and @alanrenwick.bsky.social explain Northern Ireland's politics and political structures, including power-sharing, the impact of Brexit and debates over Northern Ireland's future.
The Constitution Unit. Do the government's electoral reforms go far enough? 24 October 2025, 1:00pm–2:00pm. Cat Smith MP (Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre). Rose Whiffen (Senior Research Officer at Transparency International UK). Tom Hawthorn (Head of Policy at the Electoral Commission). Prof David Howarth (Professor of Law and Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and former Electoral Commissioner). Chair: Prof Alan Renwick (Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit).
Does the elections white paper go far enough?
Next Friday, join @catsmithmp.bsky.social, @rosewhiff.bsky.social, Tom Hawthorn and David Howarth at our free, online event to consider if the government's plans are sufficient to ensure electoral integrity.
Sign up 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo....
The UCL Constitution Unit has an excellent briefing series on UK politics that is perfect for students of all ages and levels. The latest release includes a briefing on #NorthernIreland, which I co-authored.
Read it for free here: www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...
@conunitucl.bsky.social
We've updated all our briefings - explaining how key parts of the constitution work, and why they matter to a healthy democracy.
Want to know how the territorial constitution works? What the UK's constitutional regulators do? Or why the quality of political discourse matters? We have you covered.
Giving this talk tmr!
We have an updated ministerial code! The new code makes clear that ministers "are expected" to pay back any severance payment if they quickly get a new ministerial job or are found to have broken the rules on post-government jobs
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Really enjoyed this piece.
"Lawyers and academics therefore find themselves in the difficult position of ... trying to reason people away from a view or belief they never reasoned themselves into to begin with. We are bringing facts to a vibes fight."
1/ Concerns are rising in Westminster over the Chagos deal and the UK’s trade agreements with the US, EU & India.
If we want better economic, trade and foreign-policy decisions, MPs need the tools – and the will – to hold government to account. 👇
Really looking forward to chairing this event on the scrutiny of international agreements next week - a timely topic, always fascinating, and a great opportunity to discuss (among other things) the new report on treaty scrutiny by the @houseoflords.parliament.uk International Agreements Committee
Thoughts from me on the UK government's elections policy paper.
In short: many good things, but several points don't go far enough, and there is one big mistake.
Correcting the reports.
UK withdrawal from the ECHR absolutely breaches the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.
ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/t...
The assisted dying bill begins its substantive Lords scrutiny this Friday.
Re-posting my piece on what we should expect now that the Lords has the bill. theconversation.com/assisted-dyi...
#assisteddyingbill
