At the risk of stating the obvious, the monarchy is one of the key national institutions that define British public life. Others include Parliament, the courts, the BBC, Civil Service and a free press. One of the remarkable features of public life is how many of these institutions appear to be in an almost perpetual…
Author: Craig Prescott
The modern monarchy and prorogation: clearer rules are required
On the Democratic Audit blog, I have written a post about the prorogation of Parliament and what it tells us about the current state of British politics. I also discuss how reform is needed to avoid politicisation of the monarchy. You can read it by clicking on the blog below. The Queen leaves Parliament after…
The Queen and Prorogation
**This blog was first posted on LinkedIn on 29th August 2019** There is much discussion about the decision of Boris Johnson to prorogue Parliament and what it means for the role of the monarchy. To prorogue Parliament means that one session of Parliament ends, and another begins when it meets again. While prorogued, Parliament does…
How to avoid the elephant trap: what anti-no deal MPs could do this week
This blog was first published on 2nd September over at Medium.com. It has since been taken over by events including the enactment of the European Union (Withdrawal) (No 2) Act 2019. The prorogation of Parliament has been described by many as a constitutional outrage, people have protested (including down the Mall), and it has heightened…
One Meaningful Vote Too Far: Is Bercow Right?
On Monday, the Speaker, John Bercow, has made a major intervention into the Brexit process. By ruling that the government cannot bring back the “same or substantially the same motion” any chance of Meaningful Vote III this week has practically disappeared. Bercow stated: “If the government wishes to bring forward a new proposition, which is…
Even if May has the Confidence of the House; A Lack of “Plan B” Makes Extending Article 50 Inevitable
Once upon a time, it would all have been much more straightforward. Theresa May would have made the “meaningful vote” a matter of confidence, so that if the government lost the vote, May would immediately see the Queen, and request a dissolution of Parliament to trigger a general election. But not anymore. This is because…
If May Loses on Tuesday: Is This Her Route to a General Election?
Last Tuesday, the government lost three votes in the House of Commons. These defeats show how they have lost control of the House as the DUP increasingly withdraws their support. This loss of control is likely to be confirmed on Tuesday 11th, with the government losing the ‘meaningful vote’ on the deal reached with the…
Even For Remainers, A Second Referendum Is Fundamentally Flawed.
Yesterday, several hundred thousand people marched towards Parliament demanding a ‘People’s Vote’ on any deal the government concludes with the EU. For as long as any vote includes the option to remain, it will always be a second referendum. Taking the longer term view of a remainer, the idea of a second referendum is fundamentally…
How Would a Hung Parliament Play Out? Back to the 1970’s…
It appears to be more than a wobble. Discussion of a traditional mid-election blip in polls for the Conservatives has developed into predictions (notably by YouGov) of a hung parliament with the Conservatives as the largest party. However, other polls still indicate that a Conservative majority remains the most likely result next week. Nevertheless, it…
IndyRef 2: Adding a New Dimension to Brexit
Today, Nicola Sturgeon made her announcement that not only does she seek a second independence referendum, but that she intends to hold it at some point between late 2018 or early 2019. The Scottish Government will seek the approval of the Scottish Parliament as soon as next week, and then seek approval from Westminster to…