With a general election expected sometime in 2024, political parties are increasingly planning their manifestos. A report published jointly today by the Constitution Unit and Institute for Government offers a menu of options for constitutional reform, from ‘quick wins’ to much larger-scale changes. Authors Meg Russell, Hannah White and Lisa James explain its importance.

A general election is legally required by January 2025, and is likely next year. This means political parties are increasingly focused on planning their manifestos. Among the many policy areas they must address is the future of the UK constitution.

Recent years have demonstrated numerous constitutional tensions. The Brexit period saw conflicts over the appropriate roles of parliament and executive, and the Covid-19 pandemic intensified long-running debates about how government freedom to act should be balanced with adequate parliamentary scrutiny. A series of standards scandals have highlighted weaknesses in the current systems for ensuring politicians’ integrity. There have been substantial pressures on the devolution settlement, while devolution within England remains a complex patchwork. Tensions between government and the legal profession, also a feature of the Brexit years, have continued, most recently over migration policy – and expert groups have expressed concern over government willingness to breach international law. Controversial changes to election law have also raised questions about electoral integrity.

Research by the Constitution Unit demonstrates that the public care about these topics, ranking the health of UK democracy alongside crime and immigration. Survey responses show very strong public support for high constitutional standards, and checks and balances.

Our new report – Rebuilding and Renewing the Constitution: Options for Reform – published today jointly by the Constitution Unit and Institute for Government, offers a menu of options for constitutional reform. It draws together recommendations from numerous expert bodies and parliamentary committees to lay out the options for reform across five key areas: the executive; parliament; the territorial constitution; courts and the rule of law; and elections and public participation. These include numerous modest changes that could be quickly and easily implemented – either by the current government, or a new government after the election – to improve the functioning of the constitution and make our democratic institutions more robust, but also some larger possible changes.