R E P O R T - Constitutional Performance: An End of Parliament Review

To form a basis for its work, in the absence of a codified constitution for the UK, the UKCMG has identified a set of 20 general and desirable guiding principles that express what we believe to be the core values underpinning the proper operation of the UK system of governance. [...] The processes leading to the appointment of the Chair of the BBC Board in early 2021, for example, failed to identify links to the then Prime Minister, Johnson, that later made the position of the Chair untenable. [...] The executive has also misused its ability to appoint members of the House of Lords, to the detriment of the status of the second chamber, with various dubious selections made. [...] The proper functioning of the UK constitution therefore requires the maintenance of an appropriate balance between the UK and territorial tiers, that recognises the importance of the different levels. [...] For instance, the “Safeguarding the Union” white paper that it issued in January 2024 setting out the basis for the restoration of devolution stressed a commitment on the part of the UK government to the preservation of the Union, rather than maintaining that the status of Northern Ireland is a matter for its people to determine.