XClose

The Constitution Unit

Menu

Parliament

The Palace of Westminster.

Parliament lies in the heart of British politics. Yet calls for parliamentary reform – of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords – have been frequent and both chambers have often been accused of weakness. Constitution Unit research has investigated how both chambers operate, the impact of past reforms, and options for future reform

The Constitution Unit's work on parliament is led by Professor Meg Russell.

Research 

A picture of the House of Commons.

The Politics of Parliamentary Procedure

A project led by Tom Fleming since 2023 exploring the process of procedural change in the UK House of Commons, to understand the extent, causes and consequences of government influence.

HOL tile 2

The Changing Role of the House of Lords

Ongoing research on the strength, legitimacy, influence and membership of the House of Lords led by Meg Russell, including a record of government defeats in the House of Lords since 2005.

portcullis interior 3000x1300

MPs' Staff

A project which considered the role of MPs' staff in parliament, their employment conditions and whether they are descriptively representative of the UK's population, run by Dr Rebecca McKee. This project ran between 2018 and 2022. 

Brexit, Parliament and the Constitution

Brexit, Parliament and the Constitution

Meg Russell's three year Senior Fellowship through the ESRC-funded UK in a Changing Europe programme, including commentary and events on key topics and a programme of detailed research on Brexit and parliament. It ran between 2019 and 2022.

english parliament tile 2

Options for an English Parliament

Although the idea of establishing a parliament for England is often raised, little detailed work has ever been done on the design options for such a body. This project seeks to fill that gap. It ran between 2016 and 2018.

HOC tile 2

An Elaborate Rubber Stamp? The Impact of Parliament on Legislation

A major research project on the legislative process which considers the impact of parliament on legislation before and after coalition government. It ran between 2011 and 2015.

financial priv tile 2

Financial Privilege

Research into the use of financial privilege in the House of Commons against amendments passed by the House of Lords. This project ran between 2013 and 2014.

Legislation tile 3

Legislative Committees at Westminster: The Case for Reform

Meg Russell's comparative project on the role and operation of legislative committees. This project finished in 2013.

committee tile 2

The Impact of House of Commons Select Committees

A collaboration between Constitution Unit and select committee staff which analysed the impact of committee inquiries and recommendations. It ran between 2010 and 2011.

culogo

Buy our latest book

Parliament on the blog

Pages

 

Follow us

twitter icon 2
fb icon 2
linkedin icon 2
YouTube social icon

Subscribe

Become a supporter

Read our blog

Contact us

Tel: +44 (0)20 7679 4977
Email: constitution@ucl.ac.uk

Find us >