29th June 2023 Today the Court of Appeal ruled that the United Kingdom government’s controversial Rwanda removals policy was unlawful. The judgment is here and there is a court-prepared summary …

“How did this person die? – And what lessons can we learn?”

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 27 June 2023 English

27 June 2023 A sensible policy proposal to monitor the recommendations of coroners’ inquests * * “How did this person die?” In any organised society this is one of the …

The government is running out of time

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 26 June 2023 English

26th June 2023 In the words of the eminent jurist Paul Simon: “Time, time, time See what’s become of me “Time, time, time See what’s become of me While I …

The Empty City – and the nature of practical law and policy commentary

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 25 June 2023 English

25th June 2023 Here is a painting of an empty city. It is a perfect, bright, ideal(ised) empty Renaissance cityscape. And here is another (almost) empty though less cheerful cityscape: …

Apologies and publication schedule update

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 23 June 2023 English

23rd June 2023 I hope all of you had a happy midsummer* – and now it will be another year before we get this much sunlight again. My website had …

How to approach the oral evidence at the Covid Inquiry

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 21 June 2023 English

Midsummer Day, 2023 There are now big political names giving oral evidence at the Covid Inquiry for the first “module” covering the preparedness of the government for a pandemic. This …

Life after Brexit – and “exceptionalism”

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 20 June 2023 English

20th June 2023 There is a useful general rule of writing: if more than one person, in good faith, mistakes the point you are making then it is the fault …

The remarkable fall of Boris Johnson – and what it tells us, if anything, about our constitutional arrangements?

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 19 June 2023 English

19th June 2023 In December 2019, Boris Johnson had the greatest prize that our constitutional arrangements could bestow. He had led his party to a substantial majority at a general …

Why the United Kingdom should not “re-join” the European Union – the United Kingdom should start any application from scratch

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 16 June 2023 English

16th June 2023 The flaws and the errors of the case for Brexit are many and obvious, but those who oppose and want to reverse Brexit also have a problematic …

Process and evidence will cause severe setbacks for populists like Johnson and Trump, but process and evidence are not enough …

Individual Contributors to Policy Commons · 15 June 2023 English

15th June 2023 * Words! Words! Words! I’m so sick of words! I get words all day through; First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can …