Constitution Unit opinion pieces and letters

Long-form written comment in the media from the Constitution Unit team.

2026

  • The Brexit effect on perceptions of referendums
    UCL Europe Blog (23 June 2026)

    Professor Alan Renwick reflects, on the tenth anniversary of the EU referendum, on how referendums should be used in the UK.

  • Reforms of the House of Lords that succeed are gradualist and piecemeal
    History Extra (June 2026)

    Professor Meg Russell explains the history of House of Lords reform, emphasising that this has been gradualist and piecemeal, and what this says about future reforms.

  • Misconduct in public office: three reasons why the case against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is so complex
    The Conversation (23 February 2026)

    Professor Robert Hazell says that the vagueness of the offence, multiple police forces being involved and difficulties facing the CPS and courts make it unlikely that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s case will be brought to a swift conclusion.

2025

2024

2023

2022

  • Netflix’s Harry & Meghan: the Sussexes are not unique in being royal victims
    The Conversation (19 December 2022)

    Professor Robert Hazell and Dr Bob Morris argue that the challenges faced by Harry & Meghan are shared by royals across Europe.

  • Adviser on integrity
    The Times (3 December 2022)

    Professor Meg Russell joins Daniel Bruce, Susan Hawley, Dave Penman and Hannah White to urge the Prime Minister to appoint an Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests and to strengthen the scope of the role in line with CSPL recommendations.

  • Why abolishing the House of Lords is not the answer
    Prospect Magazine (24 November 2022)

    Keir Starmer is right to want to reform the second chamber, argues Professor Meg Russell, but the key question is how far to go.

  • ‘Baroque’ leadership rules and cabinet changes
    The Times (26 October 2022)

    Following the fall of Liz Truss and installation of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister, Professor Meg Russell authored a letter in the Times arguing that the episode demonstrates that membership ballots risks instability. 

  • Why member ballots for party leaders threaten parliamentary democracy
    Prospect Magazine (23 October 2022)

    Professor 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.

  • No 10’s Brexit posturing is dicing with disaster in Northern Ireland
    The Sunday Times (10 May 2022)

    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.

  • Commons cause
    The Times (24 April 2022)

    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.

  • Electoral fairness
    The Times (22 April 2022)

    Prior to a House of Lords vote on proposals to change how the Electoral Commission is governed, Professor Alan Renwick, along with other experts, urge peers to reject the proposal to add a ‘Strategy and Policy statement’ setting out how the Commission should operate.

  • Parties scandal and calls for the PM to resign
    The Times (14 April 2022)

    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. 

  • Voters care about integrity in politics even more than you think
    Prospect Magazine (11 April 2022)

    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.

  • British voters want lying politicians to face consequences – new study
    The Conversation (7 April 2022)

    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.

  • Voters value honesty in their politicians above all else – new study
    The Conversation (26 January 2022)

    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.

2021

  • What to expect of a modern monarchy
    The Guardian (31 December 2021)

    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.

  • How might Irish unification be decided?
    The Loop (11 December 2021)

    If a referendum on Irish unification ever takes place, how should it be designed and conducted? Professor 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 “cash for peerages” scandal shows we urgently need better democratic protections
    Prospect Magazine (9 November 2021)

    The House of Lords places far too much patronage power in the hands of a potentially rogue Prime Minister, argues Professor Meg Russell.

  • When to call a referendum in Northern Ireland
    Prospect Magazine (3 June 2021)

    Dr Alan Renwick explains how the UK government should judge when and whether a majority for Irish unification has emerged.

  • UK government must loosen its grip on parliamentary process
    Financial Times (24 April 2021)

    Temporary measures introduced in a pandemic panic should have been phased out a long time ago, argues Professor Meg Russell.

  • Marginalised MPs
    The Times (21 April 2021)

    Parliament’s marginalisation by the government during the pandemic has been ‘shocking’, writes Professor Meg Russell, Ruth Fox, Ronan Cormacain and Joe Tomlinson in a letter to The Times.

  • Scottish independence referendum options
    The Times (24 February 2021)

    In the lead letter to the Times, Dr Alan Renwick and Professor 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. 

  • It’s time for MPs to take back control of the Commons
    The Times (19 January 2021)

    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.

  • Democracy at risk
    The Times (11 January 2021)

    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.

2020

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