Tag: England
What party competition in England will look like after European Parliament elections end
European Parliament elections may not have been popular, but they used proportional representation – something which England’s national elections lack. Heinz Brandenburg looks at what this means for smaller parties, which have a hard time making headway under the first-past-the-post system.
Audit 2017: How democratic is local government in England?
England (outside Greater London) is one of the largest areas in the liberal democratic world that still lack any form of regional governance. Here, local authorities are the only other tier of elected government and they play a key role in the democratic life of cities, towns and regions. As part of the 2017 Audit of […]
Who’s going to hold the new metro mayors to account?
Six English mayors will be elected on 4 May. They will enjoy extensive new powers. But who will hold them to account? Unlike in London, no directly-elected assembly will scrutinise the mayors’ action. Chris Terry warns that councillors need to step up to the role – and the method of electing councils themselves makes this deeply problematic. A […]
What’s going wrong with English Votes for English Laws – and how can it be improved?
The ‘English Votes for English Laws’ procedural rules have attracted much criticism since they came into use a year ago – variously described as complex, divisive and not making England’s voice heard. Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny look at how EVEL is working, and how it could be improved. Similar Posts‘English Votes for English Laws’ —a viable answer to the […]
The constitutional settlement of the UK has been thrown into flux – an overarching polity is urgently needed
The Brexit result has revealed the weaknesses of the liberal outlook and highlighted the endurance of identity politics, a pattern that has been seen across the globe in recent years. But Sean Swan writes that while global issues are important, we need to focus on the local and recognise the UK state is no longer […]
Detoxifying the UK’s exit from the EU: a multi-national compromise is possible
Public discussions about how the UK is to exit from the European Union have been too simplified, and have failed to come up with any solution that recognizes that only England and Wales in fact voted to leave. Brendan O’Leary outlines a way forward where those nations wanting to remain in the EU might be […]
Nationalist parties face new challenges after the ‘Super Thursday’ elections
The various nationalist parties experienced mixed fortunes in the UK elections on 5 May, and all are now operating in a different political climate. Dr Kenneth Bunker assesses what challenges lie ahead for the different parties. Similar PostsEuropean elections 2019: what will happen in Scotland?European Parliament elections 2019: what will happen in Wales?How the major […]
In order to sustain itself, the UK must become a new and different Union
Jim Gallagher reflects on what the Scotland Bill tells us about the Scotland-UK relationship and devolution more broadly. He argues that the Bill presents a challenge to the unwritten constitution, and that now is the time to clarify and codify the territorial aspects to make a statement about how and why the Union hangs together. […]
The government’s determination to shrink the state may make it more difficult to save the union
On Friday 5 June, the Constitution Unit and the Welsh Governance Centre jointly sponsored a conference of politicians and academics on ‘Devolution and the Future of The Union’ at the British Academy. It followed up a series of separate reports by them and by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law and the Institute […]
A more systematic approach to relations between the devolved administrations and the UK government is required
Alan Trench calls for a more systematic approach to intergovernmental relations between the devolved and UK governments. He argues that leaving matters to be handled in ad hoc, reactive, unstructured way is no longer an option. Similar PostsWestminster must choose between leaving the EU and retaining the UKWhat party competition in England will look like after […]
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