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…
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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…
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…
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…
Preview on Miller – An Article 50 Bill? – Parliamentary Fun & Games
This week, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, has unveiled her twelve-point plan for Brexit as March 31st, her self-imposed deadline for invoking Article 50, draws ever closer. Yet, constitutionally there may be two hurdles to clear before invoking Article 50. These hurdles are only “maybes” because it depends on the decision of the Supreme Court…