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Rebuilding public trust in politicians
Meg Russell and Peter Riddell join the leaders of the Institute for Government and UK Governance Project in signing a letter urging the Prime Minister to deliver on his commitment to strengthen the UK’s ethical landscape.
The Times | 1 November 2024
New Era for the UK House of Lords? Labour's Removal of the Hereditary Peers and Possible Future Reforms
Professor Meg Russell writes about the removal of hereditary peers from the House of Lords, as well as what might be next for the chamber.
ConstitutionNet | 31 October 2024
Britain is finally abolishing hereditary peers from the House of Lords – the historical reforms that built up to this moment
Ahead of the removal of hereditary peers from the House of Lords, Professor Meg Russell provides a history of past attempts at reform of the upper chamber.
The Conversation | 23 September 2024
What to expect from the new House of Commons
Lisa James reflects on the post-general election House of Commons, highlighting that for Labour the primary challenge may be managing its now numerous backbenchers, while the Conservatives face the opposite problem, with the party’s depleted numbers creating difficulties for effective opposition.
UK in a Changing Europe | 15 July 2024
The UK General Election: What might the future hold for ethical standards and checks on executive power?
As the UK heads to the polls against a backdrop of ethics scandals and the weakening of constitutional norms, Lisa James explains what we can expect from the next government.
RevDem | 3 July 2024
Restoring trust in the political class
Professor Meg Russell and Professor Robert Hazell are joined by numerous others in writing a letter to The Times in support of a statement on standards jointly published by the Institute for Government, Constitution Unit and UK Governance Project.
The Times | 24 June 2024
How to regulate, maintain, and improve standards in public life
Former Commissioner for Public Appointments Peter Riddell summarises his and Robert Hazell's most recent report.
ConservativeHome | 3 April 2024
Image attribution: Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Proposed shake-up of cabinet government
Robert Hazell provides a short review of the Institute for Government's latest report and calls for a smaller cabinet.
The Times | 12 March 2024
Prince William’s role as Defender of the Faith
Robert Hazell and Bob Morris discuss the ancient settlement between church and state.
The Times | 19 January 2024
The North needs care and attention
Northern Ireland's political system is in trouble, argue Alan Renwick and Conor Kelly.
eolas Magazine | October 2023
Control the PR, lose the hangers-on: lessons for Charles from Europe’s royals
Five lessons the king may want to consider, based on what has gone right – and wrong – for Europe’s surviving monarchies. Robert Hazell in The Guardian.
The Guardian | 5 May 2023
The Privileges Committee matters; but Boris Johnson’s far greater dishonesty was over Brexit
The Privileges Committee matters; but Boris Johnson's far greater dishonesty was over Brexit
Prospect | 28 April 2023
Netflix’s Harry & Meghan: the Sussexes are not unique in being royal victims
Robert Hazell & Bob Morris argue that the challenges faced by Harry & Meghan are shared by royals across Europe.
The Conversation | 19 December 2022
Adviser on integrity
Meg Russell joins Daniel Bruce (Transparency International), Susan Hawley (Spotlight on Corruption), Dave Penman (FDA) & Hannah White (Institute for Government) in this letter to the Times, urging Prime Minister to appoint an Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests, and to strengthen the scope of the role in line with CSPL recommendations.
The Times | 3 December 2022
Why abolishing the House of Lords is not the answer
Keir Starmer is right to want to reform the second chamber, argues Meg Russell, but the key question is how far to go.
Prospect Magazine | 24 November 2022
'Baroque' leadership rules and cabinet changes
Following the fall of Liz Truss and installation of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister, Meg Russell authored a letter in the Times arguing that the episode demonstrates that membership ballots risks instability.
The Times | 26 October 2022
Why member ballots for party leaders threaten parliamentary democracy
Meg Russell argues that the UK's parliamentary system is undermined when party leaders are chosen by grassroots members, but lack support from their own MPs.
Prospect Magazine | 23 October 2022
No 10’s Brexit posturing is dicing with disaster in Northern Ireland.
Following the results of the Northern Ireland Assembly elections, in this lead letter to the Sunday Times, Professor Alan Renwick stresses that constructive engagement from London will be needed to restore power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.
The Times (£) | 10 May 2022
Commons Cause
In the lead up to the local elections, Professor Alan Renwick argues that Boris Johnson's fate should not be determined by the outcome. As Constitution Unit research shows, one politician lying erodes public trust in all, so public disapproval cannot be gauged by how many votes shift between parties. It is up to MPs to act.
The Times (£) | 24 April 2022
Electoral Fairness
Prior to a House of Lords vote on proposals to change how the Electoral Commission is governed, Professor Alan Renwick, along with Robert Blackburn, Kate Dommett, Justin Fischer, and Sam Power, urge peers to reject the proposal to add a 'Strategy and Policy statement' setting out how the Commission should operate.
The Times (£) | 22 April 2022
Parties scandal and calls for the PM to resign
The Prime Minister and Chancellor have broken the Ministerial Code, writes Professor Meg Russell in this letter for the Times. Both are resigning matters, but the keeper of the code is the PM himself. In the absence of compliance it falls to MPs to act.
The Times (£) | 14 April 2022
Voters care about integrity in politics even more than you think.
Politicians lying may not always lose them votes—but it is deeply damaging to our democracy argues Professor Alan Renwick, commenting on the conclusions of the Citizens' Assembly on Democracy in the UK after Brexit.
Prospect Magazine | 11 April 2022
British voters want lying politicians to face consequences – new study
Commenting on the latest Constitution Unit findings on public attitudes towards democracy in the UK, Professor Alan Renwick outlines the key conclusions of the Citizens' Assembly on democracy in the UK, which confirmed that integrity and honesty in politics are of great concern to the public. This means that there is a desire to see ministers kept in constant check by parliament, courts and the public at large.
The Conversation | 7 April 2022
Voters value honesty in their politicians above all else – new study
In the wake of 'partygate' allegations, Professor Alan Renwick discusses major new findings on public attitudes towards democracy in the UK. The results of a large-scale survey of the UK population show that integrity and 'being honest' are among the most valued qualities in a politician.
The Conversation | 26 January 2022
Robert Hazell and Bob Morris think the statutory oaths that the new sovereign will have to make need to be revised and updated.
In the lead letter to the Guardian, Professor Robert Hazell and Dr Bob Morris propose revisions to the three statutory oaths which must be taken by the reigning Monarch.
The Guardian | 31 December 2022
How might Irish unification be decided?
If a referendum on Irish unification ever takes place, how should it be designed and conducted? Alan Renwick and Conor J. Kelly explore the issue of Irish unification from the perspective of how best to plan for a possible future referendum.
The Loop | 11 December 2022
The “cash for peerages” scandal shows we urgently need better democratic protections
The Lords places far too much patronage power in the hands of a potentially rogue prime minister, argues Professor Meg Russell.
Prospect Magazine | 9 November 2021
When to call a referendum in Northern Ireland
Professor Alan Renwick explains how the UK government should judge when and whether a majority for Irish unification has emerged.
Prospect Magazine | 3 June 2021
UK government must loosen its grip on parliamentary process
Temporary measures introduced in a pandemic panic should have been phased out a long time ago, argues Professor Meg Russell.
Financial Times (£) | 24 April 2021
Marginalised MPs
Parliament's marginalisation by the government during the pandemic has been 'shocking', writes Professor Meg Russell; Dr Ruth Fox, Hansard Society; Dr Ronan Cormacain, Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law; and Dr Joe Tomlinson, University of York and Public Law Project, in a letter to The Times.
The Times (£) | 21 April 2021
Scottish independence referendum options
In the lead letter to The Times, Professors Alan Renwick and Meg Russell explain that Scotland has a right to a referendum if voters want one, and such a referendum needn't be between binary choices.
The Times (£) | 24 February 2021
It’s time for MPs to take back control of the Commons
The government’s level of control over what is debated in the House of Commons, and when, undermines parliamentary accountability and needs addressing urgently, argues Professor Meg Russell, joint author of a new report on the issue.
Times Red Box (£) | 19 January 2021
Democracy at Risk
In the wake of the storming of the Capitol in Washington DC, Professor Meg Russell warns that if senior political figures in the UK fail to respect, uphold, and celebrate constitutional rules, they risk undermining the legitimacy of core institutions of democracy.
The Times (£) | 11 January 2021
We need to talk about referendums, north and south, on Irish unification
A referendum on Irish unification — a so-called border poll — might happen in the coming years. The government doesn’t want one, but may have little choice, says Professor Alan Renwick, Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit.
Times Red Box (£) | 30 November 2020
What’s the secret of modern monarchy’s survival?
Professor Robert Hazell and Dr Bob Morris write an op-ed on the findings from their new book, The Role of Monarchy in Modern Democracy: European Monarchies Compared, which discusses the royal family in modern society. Times Red Box (£) | 28 September 2020
New election transparency rules—a step in the right direction, but not far enough
The government's plan to require 'imprints' on online election materials is a welcome step, but this stricter plan for online political ads is just one of the changes required to safeguard democracy, explain Professor Alan Renwick and Michela Palese.
Prospect Magazine | 19 August 2020
How a virtual parliament should work
Professor Meg Russell, Director of the Unit, and Dr Ruth Fox, Director of the Hansard Society, set out some key principles for a virtual parliament during the coronavirus pandemic.
Conservative Home | 16 April 2020
Boris Johnson in hospital: constitutional expert on what this means for UK governance
Professor Robert Hazell authors an article explaining how government is being conducted whilst Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in hospital with coronavirus.
The Conversation | 8 April 2020
Why grassroots members shouldn’t choose party leaders
In the run-up to the Labour leadership election, Professor Meg Russell explains why party leadership ballots are bad for parliamentary democracy, and what can be done.
The Conversation | 5 February 2020
Why half in, half out just isn’t an option for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step back from royal duties has been described as a crisis for the monarchy, but they are the ones who are most likely to suffer the damage, explain Professor Robert Hazell and Dr Bob Morris.
The Conversation | 11 January 2020
