Tag Archives: Parliament
John Smith and Parliament
Publication is imminent of The 1922 Committee: Power Behind the Scenes – of which more shortly – but it is not my only forthcoming publication. I have a number of contributions to different volumes in the pipeline. One is on … Continue reading
Parliament and public
The House of Commons Administration Committee. under Sir Charles Walker, has begun an inquiry into how the House of Commons administration engages with the public, not least to increase public awareness of parliamentary democracy and the scrutiny undertaken by the … Continue reading
Tackling bad law…
The latest House magazine carries an article by me on the problems facing Parliament in scrutinising legislation effectively. There have always been challenges, but these have been exacerbated in recent years by the ‘something must be done’ mentality of government … Continue reading
The challenge facing Parliament in 2021
The restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster remains a major issue, the latest possibility being touted that, in order to reduce costs, the two Houses should share the same building after they have decanted the Palace. I can … Continue reading
The constitutional implications of COVID-19
The Constitution Committee of the House of Lords is presently undertaking two inquiries. One, which started last year, is examining the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. Regular readers will be aware that I have variously written on the implications of the … Continue reading
Don’t judge a book by its cover….
Although I think the cover of the forthcoming Governing Britain is an attractive one, it is the content that counts. Given that, I thought it may be worthwhile listing the contents so that any reader minded to buy a copy … Continue reading
Making sense of the constitution
The atmosphere in both Houses is markedly different from what it was last year. The political situation has been transformed. There is a sense if not of normalcy, then at least of some stability. One of the manifestations of this … Continue reading
Westminster v York
The media have been carrying reports that the Government is considering a proposal to move the House of Lords to York or some other ‘northern’ city. (Apparently Birmingham has also been mentioned, which admittedly is north of London.) I have … Continue reading
Notes on dissolution
I see people keep tweeting queries about the dissolution of Parliament, so here are a few notes in response to various of the queries that have appeared. Unlike prorogation, there is no formal ceremony for dissolution. Parliament was dissolved at … Continue reading
The Norton View 