30 Jan 2012
In seeking a vision for the future of England there is more on offer than Europhobia and the centralised developmental state. To realise this vision will require holding power to account in both the public and private domains and also to use that power to a different purpose
26 Oct 2011
Sir Gus O'Donnell, cabinet secretary and official head of the home civil service, recently announced he will be retiring at the end of this year. Accompanying this news was another … » more
07 Oct 2011
The Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) recently launched a major report, Change in Government: the agenda for leadership. Over the last six months, PASC has been examining the government’s progress against … » more
29 Sep 2011
A memo to the Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Sir Gus O'Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service. Subject: The Cabinet Manual
29 Sep 2011
The global resurgence of public religion is confronting liberal democratic publics with a new language barrier. Such publics — with the exception of the US — have lost familiarity with … » more
21 Jul 2011
Since the consultation to consider the future of the edited electoral register was launched by the last government, much light has been shed not only on how it is used … » more
11 Jul 2011
The government's long-awaited and largely predictable proposals for House of Lords reform
11 Jul 2011
Good government depends on good policy making. When policies fail, the costs can be significant; repeated failure can erode confidence in government and in the democratic process itself. Yet, despite … » more
10 Jul 2011
Select committee influence is the stuff of parliamentary folklore: a handful of anecdotes rustle through parliament like Chinese whispers, but little about where select committees have changed policy is ever … » more
27 Apr 2011
What is wrong with using religious arguments in political debate? A ruling by an American judge provides a pretty good answer, albeit intentionally. In denying a mother visitation rights with … » more
27 Apr 2011
It is over ten years since the Human Rights Act 1998 entered into force. Its impact has been significant — but not universally welcomed. Indeed, it is hard to open … » more
03 Apr 2011
For the first time ever in Britain, on 5 May 2011, voters will decide how the House of Commons is elected. The referendum vote would seem a welcome extension to … » more
03 Apr 2011
Scottish devolution's time has come. The Conservatives are back in power at Westminster. Scots voted for devolution in 1997 in reaction to eighteen years of Conservative rule. It was seen … » more
03 Apr 2011
The Scotland Bill, currently being steered through the House of Commons by Michael Moore MP and David Mundell MP, implements the proposals of the Calman Commission. The tax changes in … » more
01 Apr 2011
In the first serious analysis of Downing Street under David Cameron, Anthony Seldon, biographer of the last four prime ministers, reveals the people on the inside who really have the ear of the PM.
05 Mar 2011
Can you re-launch a ship that's holed beneath the waterline? David Cameron seems to think so. In the face of polls suggesting that the majority of the public, even when … » more
05 Mar 2011
For an idea that is variously dismissed as vague, naïve, or even a cynical ploy, the 'Big Society' has attracted plenty of column inches in recent weeks. Peter Oborne in … » more
05 Mar 2011
Most people want an effective government, that is, one that delivers what citizens want and does it efficiently and fairly. An effective government provides good public services such as health … » more
05 Mar 2011
There seems little doubt that the history books will record that one of the notable features of the last Labour government was the extent to which it rewrote the British … » more
17 Jan 2011
The Localism Bill is seen as an important statement of its philosophy and values by the coalition government. I am a confirmed advocate of more local decision-making in our governance … » more
17 Jan 2011
If you only listened to Eric Pickles, you’d be forgiven for believing we’re witnessing the dawn of a brave new era of localism, with councils suddenly released from the shackles … » more
17 Jan 2011
The Localism Bill was introduced into Parliament by the Secretary of State for Communities on 13 December, heralding what the minister promises to be a radical reform of the planning … » more
30 Nov 2010
The House of Lords is being made to look ridiculous through the incessant increase in its size. Following the eviction of hereditary peers in 1999 it had 666 members. With … » more
30 Nov 2010
Since the Act of Toleration of 1689, this country has enjoyed progressively greater religious freedom, so that we simply take it for granted that we are all equally free to … » more
28 Oct 2010
I was elected by the House of Commons in June to chair a new cross-party select committee, established to scrutinise the government’s programme of political and constitutional reform. The parliamentary … » more
28 Oct 2010
Mounting debt, redundancies, growing inequality, and a fuzzy belief that a revitalised civil society can fill the funding gap ... no, this is not the Comprehensive Spending Review. Welcome, instead, … » more
30 Sep 2010
Few issues in British politics invoke quite the same mix of intense partisan controversy and absolute voter indifference as proposals to amend the UK’s electoral geography. And the passage of … » more
31 Aug 2010
How can you not reform public services if you make sufficiently severe cuts in public spending? Cut spending by five per cent or so and, despite squeals of pain, many … » more
31 Aug 2010
The Coalition government has announced a major rethinking of the role of the state, spurred on by its decision to make a more rapid reduction in the budget deficit its … » more
23 Jun 2010
If the expenses scandal last year was a dark cloud over parliament, then the reforms that have taken place since represent a significant — and so far largely overlooked — … » more
23 Jun 2010
In his recent speech to the Hansard Society, leader of the Commons GEORGE YOUNG gave a rallying cry to MPs: take advantage of recent reforms, and hold the government to account
18 May 2010
The incoming Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition looks set to introduce potentially far-reaching political reform. The coalition agreement between the two parties includes commitments to: introduce fixed-term parliaments, make provisions to enable … » more
18 May 2010
This is in many ways a new parliament: we have a new state opening, a new and very different kind of government, and an unprecedented number of new MPs. But importantly, new parliamentary rules also kick in immediately, thanks to the Select Committee on Reform of the House of Commons (the ‘Wright committee’) in the last parliament.
02 Mar 2010
It is increasingly common for legislation to be enacted that impose targets on government ministers — to reduce carbon emissions, cut government borrowing, and so on. This article considers what, … » more
02 Mar 2010
W HETHER you’re a small business trying to identity check customers or someone tracing long-lost friends, the edited electoral register is a public database that has proved vital to both consumers … » more
02 Mar 2010
A frequently voiced concern about the quality of democratic oversight in the UK is that government produces an excessively large and increasing quantity of legislation which … » more
08 Feb 2010
Few members of the British political commenterati think the House of Commons works well. The specific complaints, familiar to any keen observer of the House, are manifold. The government has … » more
07 Jan 2010
Victorian reformers would be aghast at the disregard contemporary society has for the secret ballot, says Stuart Wilks-Heeg. Is it time to get back to fundamentals?
08 Dec 2009
New Lords proposals allowing for the retirement of peers and the non-replacement of hereditaries also leave the prime minister with the final say over new appointments — a strange Labour legacy, says Donald Shell
08 Dec 2009
The unintended consequences of Kelly may be as bad as the scandal itself — but is Kennedy the lifeline he might appear to be, asks Michael Rush
08 Dec 2009
The Reform Committee recommendations are not a panacea but they are an important start in terms of bridging the public-parliamentary divide, says Ruth Fox. Indeed, they represent the greatest opportunity to not just reform the procedures of the House but also to change the culture of the institution — but parliamentary time is running out.
08 Dec 2009
The publication of the House of Commons Reform Committee’s report Rebuilding Parliament is a small but crucial step to reforming parliament. The principles of strengthening select committees (one of … » more
18 Nov 2009
It is a strange spectacle to see a dying government struggling to enact constitutional reform. Admittedly the proposals contained in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill appear as a miscellaneous … » more
14 Jul 2008
John Spencer, professor of law at Cambridge University, argues that certain clauses in the 42 days proposal are a dangerous departure from established constitutional principles
14 Jul 2008
The recently published results of the Whitehall capability reviews show much reveal much room for improvement says Colin Talbot