Constitution Unit commentary on the 2024 general election
Throughout the 2024 general election campaign, and after, the Constitution Unit provided analysis of key constitutional issues and of the parties' policies inÌýrelationÌýto these. Catch up on our general election-related publications, manifesto-specific commentary,Ìýblog posts, eventsÌý²¹²Ô»å media.
Publications
3 June:ÌýDelivering House of Commons Reform: What works?In the first report of ourÌýPolitics of Parliamentary Procedure project, Dr Tom Fleming and Hannah Kelly explored differentÌýinstitutional vehicles for developing and delivering proposals for House of Commons reform. A Modernisation Committee, which the report suggested might be the option chosen by the next government, was later mentioned in the Labour party manifesto. | |
24 June: Seven steps to restore trust in government ethicsThe Constitution Unit published a joint statement with the Institute for Government and UK Governance Project, setting out seven steps to restore trust in the system for regulating ethics in public life.ÌýProf Meg Russell and Prof Robert Hazell wereÌýjoined byÌýnumerous others in writingÌýa letter toÌýThe TimesÌýin support of the statement. | |
27 June: 'Government, Parliament and the Constitution', inÌýThe Conservative Effect 2010–2024Prof Meg Russell wrote a chapter on 'Government, Parliament and the Constitution' in Anthony Seldon and Tom Egerton’s new book, The Conservative Effect 2010–2024: 14 Wasted Years?. | |
28 June:ÌýNorthern Ireland: Challenges for the Next Westminster GovernmentThe third report ofÌýAlan Whysall's project onÌýNorthern Ireland's Political FutureÌýsuggested that, whatever the result, a new Westminster government may want to comprehensively reappraise the way that it addresses Northern Ireland issues. |
Events
5 June: Priorities for New MPs' Induction in the Next ParliamentDr Ruth Fox, Dr Hannah White,ÌýDaniel Greenberg and Alistair Burt, with Prof Meg Russell as chair,Ìýdiscussed what new MPs need to know and how this information might best be delivered. | |
24 and 25 June:ÌýConstitutional Priorities for the Next Government: Constitution Unit Conference 2024Our conference had panels on standards, English devolution, the rule of law and House of Lords reform, withÌýDominic Grieve KC, Peter Riddell,ÌýTim Durrant,ÌýProf Tony Travers, Prof Joanie Willett, Akash Paun,ÌýEd Cox,ÌýLord (Jonathan) Sumption, Baroness (Shami) Chakrabarti,ÌýJonathan Jones KC,ÌýBaroness (Helene) Hayman, Darren Hughes and Prof Meg Russell as speakers. Prof Alan Renwick and Lisa James also chaired. | |
16 July:ÌýLessons from the 2024 general electionProf Meg Russell, Prof Alan Renwick,ÌýDr Sofia Collignon, Prof Ben Lauderdale, with Dr Tom Fleming as chair, reflected on the general election campaign, the resultÌý²¹²Ô»å the parliament ahead. |
Media
12 June:Prof Meg Russell spoke to Eleanor Langford from iNews about Labour's manifesto plans for House of Lords reform. | |
Ìý | 13 June:Prof Meg RussellÌýspoke to Iain Dale on LBC about Labour's manifesto plans for House of Lords reform.ÌýShe broadly welcomed the proposals, but was more sceptical about introducing an age limit. |
Ìý | 21 June:Prof Meg RussellÌýappeared on an episode of the Parliament Matters podcast with Dr Ruth Fox and Mark D'Arcy. She discussed Labour's constitutional manifesto plans and a possible Modernisation Committee and House of Lords reform in particular. |
24 June:Our joint statement on standards, was covered by George Grylls in The Times. It was also covered by , , Ìý²¹²Ô»å . | |
30 June:ÌýAlan Whysall'sÌýlatest Constitution Unit report was the subject of an editorial in TheÌýGuardian. | |
Ìý | 2 July:Prof Alan Renwick spoke to Aasmah Mir and Stig Abell on Times Radio about electoral reform, including its likelihood,Ìýand the nature of 'majoritiarian' and 'proportional' systems. |
Ìý Ìý | 3 July:Prof Alan RenwickÌýspoke toÌýWyre Davies on BBC Radio Wales about the health of democracy, including our Democracy in the UK after Brexit project andÌýcompulsory voting. |
4 July:Prof Robert Hazell was quoted in an article by Jennifer Hassan in the Washington Post about the King's role in general elections. | |
5 July:Prof Meg Russell is quoted twice in an article by Henry Mance in the Financial Times about Rishi Sunak's legacy. | |
5 July:Prof Alan RenwickÌýis quoted on electoral reform in an Al Jazeera article. | |
8 July:Prof Meg Russell on House of Lords reform and our joint statement on standards are mentioned by Polly Toynbee in The Guardian. | |
Ìý | 18 July:Prof Meg RussellÌýspoke to Matthew Amroliwala on BBC News about the inclusion of House of Lords reform in the King's Speech. |
Manifesto series
18 June:In the first in our series of blog posts on the manifestos,ÌýLisa James summarised the key pledges made by Great Britain's major parties on the constitution. | |
19 June:In the second in our series on the manifestos, ProfÌýMeg Russell lookedÌýat the parties'Ìýcommitments on parliamentary reform. | |
20 June:In the third in our series on the manifestos,ÌýProfÌýAlan Renwick lookedÌýat the parties’ policies towards elections and public participation. | |
25 June:In the fourth in our series on the manifestos, DrÌýPatrick Thomas examinedÌýthe commitments on devolutionÌý²¹²Ô»å consideredÌýwhat these might mean for the future of the UK. | |
27 June:In the fifth and final post in our series on the manifestos,ÌýLisa JamesÌýlookedÌýat the parties’ policies on the standards system. What do they propose, what should they considerÌý²¹²Ô»å what might be missing? |
Blog posts
7 June:Prof Meg Russell andÌýProf Robert Hazell revisited the long-standing arguments about fixed-term parliaments, summarised the birth and death of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011Ìý²¹²Ô»å argued thatÌýwe should consider returning Westminster to fixed terms. | |
11 June:Lisa James assessed the delivery record of the 2019–24 Conservative governments against the pledges that the party made in its manifesto in 2019.Ìý | |
17ÌýJune:Sanjana Balakrishnan summarised all that is new with how elections are done. | |
23 June:Prof Sarah Birch, Erik Asplund, Maddie Harty and Dr Ferran Martinez i Coma discussed why the risk posed by extreme heat could affect the conduct and outcome of the voting process in a July general election. | |
1 July:Peter Riddell outlinedÌýsome of the difficulties in creating an 'Ethics and Integrity Commission' and arguedÌýthat it is crucialÌýthat the country’s constitutional watchdogs are both independent of government and accountable to parliament. | |
3 July:Prof Meg Russell summarisedÌýthe arguments in favour of a more formal post-election transition period and suggestedÌýthat the unusual circumstances in 2024 might encourage reflection on longer-term changes to the system. | |
3 July:In an article for , Lisa James reflected on what has happened and what the future might hold for ethical standards and checks on executive power. | |
10 July:Prof Alan Renwick reviewed the First Past the Post voting system and the quality of discourse during the 2024 general election campaign, ahead of the publication of his chapter inÌý. | |
15 July:Prof Alan RenwickÌýreviewed how the First Past the Post voting system performed for . | |
15 July:In an article forÌý,ÌýLisa James reflected on the challenges that the Labour and Conservative parties face in the new parliament. | |
24 July:Lisa James assessed what was, and what was not, included in the King's Speech. |