24th June 2024 In the Times today there is a letter published from various good sorts putting forward seven practical and easy-to-make steps for a better constitution. One of the …

The wrong gong

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 22 June 2024 English

22nd June 2024 In my post earlier today on Lord Etherton I confused the Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George for the …

The public service of an “Enemy of the People”

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 22 June 2024 English

22nd June 2024 You may remember this headline: This was about the first of the two Brexit cases where the courts had to prevent the government acting in spite of …

Of majorities and “super-majorities”

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 21 June 2024 English

21st June 2024 The greatest prize that the constitution of the United Kingdom can bestow is a substantial parliamentary majority at a general election. With such a majority you can …

The strange omission in the Conservative manifesto: why is there no commitment to repeal the Human Rights Act?

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 12 June 2024 English

12th June 2024 As each party manifesto is published online, and for my own easy amusement, I like to search the pdf for words like “enshrine” and “clear”. And after …

The predicted governing party implosion in historical and constitutional context

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 11 June 2024 English

11th June 2024 From time to time the party now known as the Conservative and Unionist party has done badly – very badly. * In 1828-32, the old Tory collapsed …

Donald Trump is convicted – but it is now the judicial system that may need a good defence strategy

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 1 June 2024 English

1st June 2024 On balance, the prosecution of Donald Trump in New York did not look likely to succeed. The prosecution had to show that certain business records were falsified …

The unwelcome weaponisation of police complaints as part of ordinary politics

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 31 May 2024 English

31st May 2024 Here is a news snippet that showed the sheer dislocation in our politics. It is from 2022. You may remember the context. There was always something that …

Thoughts on the calling of a general election – and on whether our constitutional excitements are coming to an end

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 29 May 2024 English

29 May 2024 When the general election was suddenly called I was in the middle of writing about another legal topic for Prospect. And then when the current Prime Minister …

Another inquiry report, another massive public policy failure revealed

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 21 May 2024 English

21st May 2024 There are so many governmental scandals that it is difficult to keep up with them all, and one horrific scandal this blog has not before covered is …