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PODCAST

The Constitution Unit

The Constitution Unit

The Constitution Unit conducts timely, rigorous, independent research into constitutional change and the reform of political institutions. Our research has significant real-world impact, informing policy-makers engaged in such changes - both in the United Kingdom and around the world. On this channel, you will find the audio recordings of the Constitution Unit"s past events.

government

All Episodes

01:13:31

Parliament: the decline of scrutiny? - The State of...

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/07/14

Johnson’s premiership has been marked by various controversies about parliament. On COVID-19, the government was accused of overusing delegated powers – adding to already long-standing concerns in this area. Subsequently, some primary legislation has been rushed, and the relationship between whips and backbenchers often difficult. Most recently, the proposed fast-track procedures for amending Retained EU Law and on human rights risk further sidelining parliamentarians. How concerned should we be

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01:11:19

The Role of the Courts - The State of the...

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/07/12

The 2019 Conservative manifesto promised to review the relationship between government, parliament and the courts. In particular, ministers had concerns about the growth of judicial review. Since then, there have been consultations on judicial review and the Human Rights Act, the Judicial Review and Courts Act has reached the statute book, and the government has proposed a new Bill of Rights. Simultaneously, some detect a ‘chilling’ effect on the courts. So, in the third year of the Johnson

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01:16:01

The Future of the Union and Devolution - The State of...

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/07/07

The UK’s ‘devolution settlement’ is unsettled. Alternative visions abound for how to achieve stability: through ‘muscular unionism’; by reforming intergovernmental relations; through wholesale federalisation; or by breaking up the Union. What is the current state of each of these options? How are they likely to develop in the foreseeable future? In so far as they are implemented, what impacts are they likely to have? SpeakersLord (Andrew) Dunlop – Conservative peer, and former Parliamentary

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01:12:09

Northern Ireland: how can power-sharing be revived? -...

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/07/05

Northern Ireland finds itself again without a functioning Executive or Assembly. All mainstream voices agree that the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement offers the only viable framework for politics in Northern Ireland in the coming years, but the risk of breakdown is severe. How can Northern Ireland’s power-sharing arrangements be restored in the coming months? How far are solutions to be found in changes to the Protocol or to the 1998 Agreement? And what role should the government in London play

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01:14:13

Constitutional Standards - The State of the...

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/06/30

The Johnson premiership has sparked numerous concerns about constitutional standards – from respect for checks and balances and the rule of law, to standards of behaviour among ministers, officials, and parliamentarians. A major review by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 2021 proposed significant change. These debates take place within a wider framework of concern about ‘democratic backsliding’. How can constitutional and democratic standards best be upheld, and norms of good behaviour

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01:17:20

The 1997 Labour government's constitutional reform...

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/06/24

May 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of the election of Tony Blair's first Labour government. It entered office with an ambitious set of manifesto proposals for constitutional reform. These included devolution in Scotland, Wales and London, a new settlement for Northern Ireland, the Human Rights Act, Freedom of Information Act, Lords reform, regulation of elections and referendums, and a referendum on the voting system for the House of Commons. Not all of these ambitions were reached, but further

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00:36:12

Politics in Northern Ireland

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/05/12

In this episode, Professor Alan Renwick is joined by Senior Research Associate Alan Whysall, and Professor Etain Tannam, Associate Professor of International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin to discuss the implications of the Assembly elections for the future of power-sharing and the institutional arrangements in Northern Ireland.Read further about these themes in Alan Whysall's discussion paper on the future of the institutions and blogpost on challenges after the elections, and Etain

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01:12:41

Citizens’ Assembly on Democracy in the UK

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/04/29

Recent years have raised fundamental questions about the operation of democracy in the UK. Polarisation is high and many citizens feel detached from politics. The ethical standards of those in public life have been called into question. Governing and opposition parties throughout the UK have pledged to review the system’s operation. But how do ordinary citizens want democracy in the UK to work?This seminar follows the launch on 7 April of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Democracy in the UK –

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01:14:52

What role should party members have in leadership...

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/04/11

If Boris Johnson leaves office before the next general election, Conservative Party members will have a decisive say in who replaces him as party leader and Prime Minister. This prospect raises the wider question of what role ordinary members should play in party leadership elections. The UK has seen extensive variation in the role of ordinary grassroots members, as compared to MPs, in leadership contests – both between the different parties, and over time. This has previously led to some

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01:18:05

What Kind of Democracy Do People Want?

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/02/14

Recent years have raised fundamental questions about the kind of democracy that people in the UK want. How do they think government and parliament should relate to each other? What role do they want for the courts? Do they want more or fewer referendums? What standards of behaviour do they expect from their politicians, and how do they expect those standards to be upheld?These and many other related questions are explored by the Constitution Unit’s Democracy in the UK after Brexit project. This

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01:13:18

What can be done about the House of Lords?

The Constitution Unit ·

2022/01/14

There are regular calls for reform of the House of Lords. The chamber is widely seen as too large, with unregulated prime ministerial appointments, and has recently been subject to renewed allegations of 'cash for peerages'. The Lord Speaker established a committee to make recommendations on controlling the chamber's size, but its recommendations have been flouted by the current Prime Minister. Boris Johnson is also the first Prime Minister to have overruled recommendations by the House of Lords

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01:13:24

Riding the Populist Wave: the UK Conservatives and...

The Constitution Unit ·

2021/12/02

Professor Tim Bale’s book, 'Riding the Populist Wave', highlights how mainstream right-wing parties across Europe – including the UK Conservatives – have faced challenges responding to electoral pressure from the populist radical right. How such parties respond may have important implications for everyday politics, and raise concerns about the robustness of constitutional protections, and even of liberal democracy itself. This seminar reflects on the international trends, with a particular interest

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00:55:27

Improving standards of conduct in public life

The Constitution Unit ·

2021/11/18

In 2020, the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) launched its Standards Matter 2 review to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the mechanisms to support high standards of conduct in public life. In June 2021, CSPL published initial findings from the review, and its final report and recommendations on 1 November 2021. CSPL’s chair, Lord (Jonathan) Evans, will talk about the review and CSPL’s main recommendations with Professor Meg Russell, Director of the Constitution Unit.

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01:11:18

Reforming elections: assessing the government’s...

The Constitution Unit ·

2021/09/24

Parliament is scrutinising two sets of government proposals relating to elections: the Elections Bill and the draft Online Safety Bill. Some aspects of both measures have been widely welcomed, but others are controversial. Will tighter parliamentary control over the Electoral Commission harm that body’s independence? Will voter ID requirements reduce access to the ballot? Does the Bill deal effectively with complex questions concerning notional expenditure and ‘third party’ regulation? Will the

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01:15:03

The Gun, the Ship & the Pen: Warfare, Constitutions...

The Constitution Unit ·

2021/08/09

Dr Harshan Kumarasingham and Prof Robert Hazell (Constitution Unit) in discussion with Prof Linda Colley FBA about her latest book on warfare, constitutions and the making of the modern world.Speakers: Prof Linda Colley FBA, Shelby M.C. Davis 1958 Professor of History at Princeton University and Dr Harshan Kumarasingham, Senior Lecturer in British Politics at the University of EdinburghChair: Prof Robert Hazell, The Constitution Unit

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01:15:09

Devolution and the future of the Union

The Constitution Unit ·

2021/07/16

This is a recording of a panel session from our conference on the government's constitutional reform agenda. Panellists explored the devolution arrangements in the UK and the future of the Union. Four experts based in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland joined the discussion.Speakers: Prof Adam Tomkins, GlasgowProf Laura McAllister, CardiffProf Katy Hayward, Queen’s University BelfastProf John Denham, Southampton.Chair: Prof Robert Hazell, Constitution Unit, UCL.Suggested reading: The

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01:11:19

Judicial review, human rights and judiciary

The Constitution Unit ·

2021/07/12

This is a recording of a panel session from our conference looking at the government's constitutional reform agenda. The panel discussed the government's review of administrative law and programme for reform of human rights and the judiciary. Speakers:Lord Faulks QC, Chair of Independent Review of Administrative LawProf Kate O’Regan, Director of Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, OxfordJoshua Rozenberg QC (Hon), legal commentator and journalistChair: Prof Catherine Barnard, UKICE.The two-day

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00:55:55

Elections and referendums - updating campaign...

The Constitution Unit ·

2021/07/07

This is a recording of a panel session from our conference looking at the government's constitutional reform agenda. The panel discussed why political campaigning regulations aren't fit for purpose in a digital era and how regulations should be updated. Speakers: John Pullinger, Chair of Electoral CommissionDr Kate Dommett, SheffieldProf Rachel Gibson, Manchester.Chair: Dr Alan Renwick, Constitution Unit, UCL.The two-day conference was jointly organised with the Department of Political Science and

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00:58:39

Re-balancing between parliament, executive and the...

The Constitution Unit ·

2021/07/05

This is a recording of the final panel session from our conference looking at the government's constitutional reform agenda. The focus of the discussion was the balance of power between parliament, the executive and the courts.Speakers:Dominic Grieve QC, former Attorney GeneralPeter Riddell, Commissioner for Public AppointmentsProf Meg Russell FBA, Constitution Unit, UCLProf Tim Bale, Queen Mary, University of London.Chair: Prof Petra Schleiter, OxfordThe two-day conference was jointly organised

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01:12:05

Review of Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011

The Constitution Unit ·

2021/07/02

This is a recording of a panel session from our conference looking at the government's constitutional reform agenda. The focus of the discussion was the government's review of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act and it's repeal bill: the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill. Speakers:Lord McLoughlin, Chair of Parliamentary Joint Committee on Review of the FTPAChris Bryant MP, member of Joint Committee on Review of FTPAProf Petra Schleiter, OxfordProf Alison Young, Cambridge.Chair: Prof Meg Russell

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