The posts on this blog have covered a range of issues as well as offering comments on my parliamentary work and providing light relief through a caption competition. Some of the topics have been superseded by events – such as the Fixed-term Parliaments Act (on which I did several posts) being replaced by the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act. Others remain of relevance and I felt there may be merit in drawing together those that are likely to be of interest to teachers and students of politics. They comprise a mix of analysis, opinion and factual reporting.
What follows are posts I have done over the past ten years. Where I have done several posts on the same subject, as on the 1922 Committee, I have confined it to one key post.
Just click on the link to see the post. You will see the date on each, but I like to think they have stood the test of time.
The constitution
Do we need a ‘written’ constitution?’ https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2019/09/20/do-we-need-a-written-constitution/
A new Magna Carta? https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2014/07/11/a-new-magna-carta/
Direct or representative democracy? https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2019/08/29/direct-or-representative-democracy/
A Conservative view of the Constitution https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2018/11/24/a-conservative-view-of-the-constitution/
Who has responsibility for the constitution? https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2023/06/30/who-has-responsibility-for-the-constitution/
Upholding constitutional principles https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2023/11/12/upholding-constitutional-principles/
When does a practice become a convention? https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/when-does-a-practice-become-a-convention/
When is a convention not a convention? https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/when-is-a-convention-not-a-convention/
Parliament and the courts https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2015/12/28/parliament-and-the-courts-2/
The Union https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2021/05/18/debating-the-constitution-3/
Standing in for the Prime Minister https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2020/03/28/standing-in-for-the-prime-minister/
The role of First Secretary of State https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2020/04/12/the-role-of-first-secretary-of-state/
Royal Assent https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2020/01/31/royal-assent/
The Prime Minister
What type of Prime Minister do you want? https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2022/07/09/what-type-of-prime-minister-do-you-want/
Effective Prime Ministerial leadership https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2019/06/04/effective-prime-ministerial-leadership/
Tony Blair and the office of PM https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2016/04/05/tony-blair-and-the-office-of-pm/
Ministers
The need for leadership training https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2021/09/23/leadership-training-for-ministers-and-civil-servants/
Staying in power: how partly leaders use informal space in Parliament
Keeping MPs onside https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2021/09/01/the-need-to-keep-mps-onside/
James Callaghan and Parliament https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/prime-ministers-exploiting-informal-space/
John Smith and Parliament https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2023/09/26/john-smith-and-parliament/
The unclubbable Prime Minister https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2019/05/24/the-unclubbable-prime-minister/
Parliament
The recall of Parliament https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/recall-of-parliament/
The demise of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2022/03/27/the-demise-of-the-fixed-term-parliaments-act/
The House of Lords
Making the case for second chambers https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2023/07/19/making-the-case-for-second-chambers/
Reforming the House of Lords https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2022/12/25/reforming-the-house-of-lords-2/
Lords reform: 1911 all over again… https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2018/05/20/lords-reform-1911-all-over-again/
Who speaks for the House? https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/the-lords-and-crisis-management/
The Lords deserve better https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/the-lords-deserve-better/
The House of Commons
The role of the Speaker https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2019/10/24/the-role-of-the-speaker-2/
Who are the orators? https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2019/02/21/where-are-the-orators/
Legislation
‘Law but not law’ – legislation that is not brought into force https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2021/10/24/when-law-is-not-law/
The use of skeleton bills https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/bare-bones-legislation-the-use-of-skeleton-bills/
The 1922 Committee
Dispelling myths about the 1922 Committee https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2022/10/22/dispelling-myths-about-the-1922-committee/
Lobbying
Different modes of lobbying https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2021/10/24/different-modes-of-lobbying/
Political debate
The decline of politics https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2022/04/18/the-decline-of-politics/
The arrogance that threatens politics https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2020/12/19/the-arrogance-that-threatens-politics/
The Member of Parliament
The changing constituency role of the MP https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2021/05/01/the-changing-constituency-roles-of-the-mp/
MPs and constituency service https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2016/06/22/mps-and-constituency-service/
What makes an effective parliamentarian? https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/what-makes-for-an-effective-parliamentarian/
The value of parliamentarians https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2018/08/10/the-value-of-parliamentarians/
Women and Westminster https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2018/02/14/women-and-westminster/
What if a candidate dies? https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2015/04/27/what-if-a-candidate-dies/
The perils of being an independent MP https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/the-perils-of-being-an-independent-mp/
Voters
Protecting voter choice https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2016/11/01/protecting-voter-choice/
Prisoner voting https://nortonview.wordpress.com/2016/05/20/prisoner-voting-2/
I hope they prove of interest and, for A-level and undergraduate students, of some use.
The Norton View 