The Constitution Unit Blog

Menu

Skip to content
  • Home
  • Constitutions and Constitution-Making
  • Deliberative Democracy
  • Nations and Regions
  • Elections and Referendums
  • Government
  • Judiciary and Human Rights
  • Monarchy, Church and State
  • Parliament
  • Parties and Politicians

Category Archives: Public Engagement and Policy Making

Post navigation

← Older posts

Monitor 90: Labour and the constitution, one year on

Posted on July 15, 2025 by The Constitution Unit

Monitor 90, published today, provides an analysis of constitutional events over the last four months, a period in which the Unit hosted its annual conference and celebrated its thirtieth anniversary, and the Starmer government marked its first year in office. This post, by Meg Russell and Alan Renwick, which also serves as the issue’s lead article, argues that the government’s constitutional scorecard is mixed. The bill to remove hereditary peers from parliament has made significant progress, but further reform of the Lords feels a long way off. Keir Starmer’s relationship with his own backbenchers has deteriorated rapidly, with significant effects on government bills. Attacks on judges and the rule of law remain disturbingly common. Away from Westminster, an English devolution bill has been tabled, and measures aimed at increasing respect for democracy have been taken in Scotland and Wales. This post argues that the public still feel that politicians are not being straight with them, and that this perception needs to be fixed for democracy to function effectively.

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Share on Print & PDF (Opens in new window) Print & PDF

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in constitutional standards and the health of democracy, Devolution, Elections and referendums, Government, Judiciary and human rights, Parliament, Parties and politicians, Public Engagement and Policy Making | Tagged Alan Renwick, meg russell, Monitor | 1 Comment

The role of political parties in democratic innovation

Posted on April 17, 2025 by The Constitution Unit

David Farrell argues that the extent of the decline of political parties and democratic decline is at risk of being exaggerated, and that the role of parties in democratic innovation is often underappreciated. He concludes that political parties continue to make fundamental contributions to democracy, not least in driving processes of reform to both democracy and their own internal structures and policies.

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Share on Print & PDF (Opens in new window) Print & PDF

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in Parties and politicians, Public Engagement and Policy Making | Tagged Agora, Alternativet, Belgium, citizens assemblies, Croatia, David Farrell, deliberative democracy, Demos, Denmark, Die Linke, electoral finance, Five Star Movement, gender quotas, Germany, Greece, Les Engagés, Možemo!, party democracy, party finance, party members, PASOK, pirate parties, Podemos, romania | 1 Comment

The constitutional landscape: new report on options for reform 

Posted on March 13, 2025 by The Constitution Unit

Today the Constitution Unit publishes a wide-ranging new report. The Constitutional Landscape: Options for Reform briefly summarises 31 areas of constitutional policy, describing the current state of affairs and the options for reform. In this post Lisa James, one of the report’s authors, explores its contents. 

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Share on Print & PDF (Opens in new window) Print & PDF

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in Brexit, constitutional standards and the health of democracy, Devolution, Elections and referendums, Government, Judiciary and human rights, Monarchy, church and state, Parliament, Parties and politicians, Public Engagement and Policy Making | Tagged 2019 prorogation, 2024 Labour manifesto, Alan Renwick, Attorney General, Brexit, campaign finance, citizens assemblies, civil service, civil service reform, constitutional landscape, constitutional reform, constitutional standards, Coronavirus, courts, covid, delegated legislation, devolution white paper, Electoral reform, emergency powers, England, hereditary peers, House of Commons, House of Lords, House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, Iraq, Labour, law officers, Leader of the House of Commons, Lisa James, lobbying, Lord (Richard) Hermer, Lord Chancellor, Lord Hermer, Lords reform, Lucy Powell, meg russell, ministerial standards, Modernisation Committee, Northern Ireland, parliamentary scrutiny, parliamentary standards, prerogative powers, prorogation, royal prerogative, Syria, The Constitutional Landscape: Options for Reform, Union, voter ID, votes at 16 | 1 Comment

Local citizens‘ assemblies: why do councils set them up and what can they do?

Posted on February 11, 2025 by The Constitution Unit

Numerous citizens’ assemblies have been held by councils and other local bodies around the UK in recent years. Patricia Preller and Alan Renwick survey these processes to consider what lessons can be learned.

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Share on Print & PDF (Opens in new window) Print & PDF

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in Devolution, Public Engagement and Policy Making | Tagged Alan Renwick, citizens assemblies, citizens assembly, citizens jury, climate change, deliberative democracy, Innovation in Democracy Programme, local government, Patricia Preller

Labour and the constitution: an uneven start for Starmer

Posted on November 27, 2024 by The Constitution Unit

Today the Unit published Monitor 88, providing an analysis of constitutional events over the last four months. This post by Alan Renwick and Meg Russell, which also serves as the issue’s lead article, reviews the new government’s early months, highlighting positive first steps, but also many opportunities for quick wins not taken. It highlights some positive action by the new government, like the publication of a revised Ministerial Code, a speech by the new Attorney General on the rule of law and small steps on parliamentary and electoral reform, as well as some less positive behaviour and inaction, such as failing to further strengthen of standards in public life, rushing legislation and not making further progress with parliamentary and electoral reform.

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Share on Print & PDF (Opens in new window) Print & PDF

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in constitutional standards and the health of democracy, Devolution, Elections and referendums, Government, International, Judiciary and human rights, Monarchy, church and state, Parliament, Parties and politicians, Public Engagement and Policy Making | Tagged 2024 general election, Alan Renwick, Alex Salmond, Attorney General, Conservatives, constitutional standards, constitutional standards and the health of democracy, Electoral Commission, Eluned Morgan, England, first past the post, hereditary peers, HOLAC, House of Commons, House of Lords, House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill, house of lords appointment commission, Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, John Swinney, Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Labour, Leader of the Conservative party, Leader of the Opposition, Lord (Richard) Hermer, Lord Hermer, lords appointments, Lords reform, mayors, meg russell, metro mayors, ministerial code, ministerial standards, Modernisation Committee, Monitor, Monitor 88, MPs, Northern Ireland, parliamentary scrutiny, prime minister, Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, richard Hermer, Robert Jenrick, Scotland, SNP, Wales

Post navigation

← Older posts
About the Constitution Unit
Sign up to our mailing list

If you are having problems subscribing to our blog, sign up using our form hosted in MailChimp, selecting 'Blog'.

Copyright
Powered by WordPress.com.
The Constitution Unit Blog
Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Able.
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d