The composition and role of the House of Lords are subject to frequent question. Since the last major change by a Labour government in 1999, proposals for further reform have ranged from wholesale change – e.g. creating an elected second chamber of the nations and regions – to smaller alterations to change the appointments system or to limit the chamber’s size. To what extent should a new government prioritise House of Lords reform, and what specifically should be the priorities? If the Conservatives lose office, what challenges might be posed by their still being the largest single group in the upper chamber?

Links

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved

Blog: https://constitution-unit.com/

The role of courts and judges has been controversial in recent years, with criticism of both domestic judges and the European Court of Human Rights. Several government bills have raised difficult questions about the respective roles of government, parliament, and the courts. Has the rule of law been undermined by recent trends in policymaking or political discourse? If so, what should be done to bolster and protect it in the future?

Links

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved

Blog: https://constitution-unit.com/

The last two decades have seen major changes in the structure of sub-national government within England, with the gradual devolution of powers to a range of new mayors and combined authorities. How should this patchwork of devolution be built upon? Should structures be more consistent across the country? Should further powers be devolved, and – if so – to whom? What steps are required to ensure that this devolved power faces appropriate scrutiny and accountability?

Speakers:

• Professor Tony Travers – Director of LSE London and Visiting Professor at the LSE
• Professor Joanie Willett – Associate Professor in Politics and Co-Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies, University of Exeter
• Akash Paun – Programme Director, Institute for Government
• Ed Cox – Executive Director for Strategy, Economy and Net Zero at the West Midlands Combined Authority

Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit

Links

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved

Blog: https://constitution-unit.com/

The 2019–24 parliament has been dogged by complaints of low standards of conduct by our politicians. Rishi Sunak has committed to upholding the ideals of ‘integrity, professionalism, and accountability’, while Labour has promised to overhaul how standards are regulated in government and parliament. What are the priorities in this area for a new government to address? Does this require cultural changes, institutional reforms, or both? Which changes or reforms might be most effective?

Speakers:

• Dominic Grieve KC – Chair of the UK Governance Project, former Attorney General and Conservative MP
• Peter Riddell – former Commissioner for Public Appointments, Director of the Institute for Government and journalist
• Tim Durrant – Programme Director, Institute for Government

Chair: Professor Meg Russell FBA – Director of the Constitution Unit

Episode links:
The joint statement on standards

Links

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved

Blog: https://constitution-unit.com/

The podcast originally appeared on 'Uncovering Politics' from UCL's Department of Political Science.

In the run up to the UK General Election we have a special episode on opinion polls.

Opinion polling is a staple of modern elections, captivating political enthusiasts with fluctuating numbers but also sparking controversy. Polls are sometimes criticized for inaccuracies, notably in the Brexit referendum and the 2016 US presidential election. Polling methods, including sampling and voter prediction, are hotly debated. The emergence of MRP polls, which accurately estimated results in the 2017 UK election, has added to the intrigue, despite producing widely varying predictions for the outcome of the current UK election. So what should we make of the polls? And how can we best interpret all the numbers to understand what’s really going on?

Our guest is Prof Ben Lauderdale. Ben is Professor of Political Science here at UCL, a former Senior Data Science Advisor to the polling firm YouGov, the original brain behind the development of MRP methods and general polling guru.

UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

Links

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved

Blog: https://constitution-unit.com/

Whatever the result of the upcoming general election, a large number of new MPs will enter the House of Commons. A well-designed induction programme will be crucial for helping them to find their feet and become effective parliamentarians. So what do new MPs need to know about their roles in parliament and beyond? How might this differ from in the past, and how might such induction best be delivered? We discussed these questions with experts from the Hansard Society and Institute for Government, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, and a former MP.

Speakers

• Dr Ruth Fox – Director of the Hansard Society
• Dr Hannah White – Director of the Institute for Government
• Daniel Greenberg – Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
• Alistair Burt – former Conservative MP and minister

Chair: Professor Meg Russell – Director of the Constitution Unit

Links

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved

Blog: https://constitution-unit.com/

Recent years have seen many changes to election regulations in the UK. These changes affect key aspects of how elections are fought and administered, including party spending, voter identification, the voting rights of citizens living abroad, and the electoral system used to elect mayors and police and crime commissioners.

So what has changed, what effects might these changes have, and what challenges do they present for parties, candidates, and electoral administrators? An expert panel discussed these questions a week before the 2 May local elections.

Speakers

• Laura Lock – Deputy Chief Executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators
• Lord (Paul) Tyler – Liberal Democrat peer and former MP, co-author of the 2023 book Can Parliament Take Back Control?
• Professor Alistair Clark – Professor of Political Science, Newcastle University

Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit

Read a briefing from the Hansard Society on general election rules and regulations: https://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications/briefings/general-election-rules-and-regulations.

Links

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved

Blog: https://constitution-unit.com/

The UK’s recent air strikes on the Houthis in Yemen have renewed discussion about parliament’s role in approving military action. The government is not constitutionally required to consult parliament on military deployments, and can choose whether and when to seek MPs’ approval. So what is parliament’s current role? Should this be changed, as some opposition parties have suggested? If so, what are some of the possibilities and challenges?

In this webinar, an expert panel discuss parliament’s current role, and whether reform is desirable or feasible.

Speakers:

David Lidington – Chair of the Royal United Services Institute, former Conservative MP for Aylesbury, and former Minister for the Cabinet Office, Lord Chancellor, and Leader of the House of Commons

Dr Veronika Fikfak – Associate Professor in International Law, University College London

Dr James Strong – Senior Lecturer in British Politics and Foreign Policy, Queen Mary University of London

Chair: Lisa James – Research Fellow, Constitution Unit

Diagram of parliamentary war convention

Useful reading:

• How might Keir Starmer codify his Prevention of Military Intervention Act? by Robert Hazell
• Parliament’s Secret War by Veronika Fikfak and Hayley J. Hooper
• The war powers of the British parliament: What has been established, and what remains unclear? by James Strong

Links

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved

Blog: https://constitution-unit.com/