My blog for @conunitucl.bsky.social argues that the redraft of the Cabinet Manual needs to cover transitional arrangements such as access talks and ‘caretaker’ arrangements when PMs resign midterm rather than just around general elections.

It has been a busy week at the Constitution Unit! On Tuesday, our Deputy Director, Tom Fleming, gave oral evidence to the House of Commons Modernisation Committee on how House of Commons time is used with @louisevthompson.bsky.social, David Natzler and @courtenayilbert.bsky.social. Find out more 👇️

Meg Russell is on the latest episode of the UCL Uncovering Politics podcast. She discusses her career, including serving as our Director from 2015 to 2026 while fundamentals of the constitution came to be questioned and challenged, and how the UK's political system might be strengthened. Listen 👇️

NEW BLOG: When there is a mid-term change of Prime Minister, what should the Cabinet Manual say about access talks and the caretaker convention? @peterr48.bsky.social questions if the new Cabinet Manual should cover access talks and restrictions on activity when a PM is to leave office mid-term.

The Constitution Unit's summer conference on The Constitution under Labour - one excellent panel after another, all on important and fascinating topics. You can watch them here, and I highly recommend you do!

It's fascinating to revisit this post ten years on. OK, point 9 turned out to be wrong. But the rest holds up pretty well! It has lasted because it drew on great analysis done by many people - much of it, including ours, supported by the brilliant @ukandeu.bsky.social. Huge thanks to them all!

How might a Burnham premiership change the constitution? Join us on 9 July for a discussion with three great experts.

Excellent new UCL Constitution Unit report out today. Andrew Tyrie argues the Intelligence and Security Committee needs beefing up, and sets out proposals for how to do that.

What is a humble address? Our Deputy Director, Tom Fleming, explained all when speaking with Susan Hulme on BBC Radio 4 Today in Parliament last Friday. Listen 👇

Want to know how to change House of Commons procedures? Here is your guide.

BREAKING: The government has announced that it will update the Cabinet Manual. See the Written Statement: questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat.... @lisajames.bsky.social wrote about the urgent need for updating last year 👇

Lots of fascinating food for thought here.

How would a Burnham premiership change the constitution? The Constitution Unit's new Deputy Director, Tom Fleming, answers all your questions.

Our Director, @alanrenwick.bsky.social, will be speaking at @compassoffice.bsky.social's Change:NOW! Mobilising the Progressive Majority conference on Saturday. He will join a panel organised by @uclpolicylab.bsky.social with a particular focus on the role of participatory democracy. Sign up 👇

"There is a strong democratic case for returning to a system of electing leaders by a party’s MPs, at least when the party is in office". Good, wide-ranging piece on "the revolving-door premiership" by @alanrenwick.bsky.social, the new director of the @conunitucl.bsky.social.

ON THE BLOG: The revolving-door premiership @alanrenwick.bsky.social says that changing prime minister between elections is normal, but current methods for doing so are inadequate. And rapid turnover is a symptom of deeper troubles requiring fundamental shifts in our political culture to address.

Some thoughts from me on the current political situation. Frequent turnover at the top highlights problems in how leaders are chosen, in institutions, and in deeper political culture.

Do watch Meg Russell's fantastic valedictory lecture as UCL Constitution Unit Director, delivered last week. It was a wonderful occasion. Meg, as always, provided a sparkling analysis of the state of our democracy: what needs to change and what we must work hard to hold on to.

Delighted to be joining this fantastic panel at the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk next Monday. Lots of important points to discuss.

It's quite a day to be taking over at the UCL Constitution Unit! Meg gave a fantastic speech last night to close her time in charge - video coming very soon. Thank you, Meg, for all your stellar work! Our mission to conduct rigorous research that helps inform debate on political reform goes on.

The Constitution Unit has a great new report out this morning, in which @alanwhysall.bsky.social argues for greater attention to problems of governance in Northern Ireland, and explores options to fix them.

@alanrenwick.bsky.social, gave oral evidence with @profsob.bsky.social and @tobysjames.bsky.social to the Modernising Elections inquiry yesterday. Alan said that the government's plans 'could go further' and there is a case for further investigation of the electoral system. Read (and watch) more 👇

I'm thrilled to be taking over as Director of the Constitution Unit next month. Amid many challenges to democracy, our work remains vital. But, gosh, it's daunting to try to fill Meg Russell's shoes! She has been a terrific Director for over a decade, and will be an incredibly hard act to follow.

On a quick read this looks very welcome indeed. Philip Rycroft will be saying a few words about his review at the @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk annual conference tomorrow.

Three excellent things have just happened: 1) the Rycroft Review of pol finance has been published 2) govt is implementing key changes with immediate effect 3) those changes got cross-party support in the Commons. Careful scrutiny of the detail will now be essential. www.gov.uk/government/p...

I'm looking forward very much to giving this lecture in Oxford in May - it's a huge privilege to have been asked to do it, and it's a chance for me to explore some questions that have long intrigued me. It would be lovely to see lots of you there!

The latest Constitution Unit Monitor, rounding up constitutional developments since November, is now online. It's a bumper edition. Challenges to the established order are growing. The government is pursuing some changes in response. But are they enough?

*Representation of the People Bill update* Steve Reed has just announced: 'We will repeal in full the power for government to impose a strategy and policy statement on the Electoral Commission'. A very welcome change. I set out last week why it was needed. constitution-unit.com/2026/02/26/t...

The @niassembly.bsky.social has produced a briefing paper on public views towards reform of Stormont. It looks at a range of evidence, including my 2023 report 'Perspectives on the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement' co-authored with @alanrenwick.bsky.social at the @conunitucl.bsky.social Links below

Firm but fair criticism from @alanrenwick.bsky.social of the "glaring omission" in the Representation of the People Bill. The independence of the Electoral Commission has been seriously undermined. The government must act to restore it. Read in full @conunitucl.bsky.social 👇 buff.ly/qhmruE3

Must read by @alanrenwick.bsky.social

Excellent round-up of the considerable room for improvement by @alanrenwick.bsky.social

We're recruiting! Please do spread the news far and wide. We're excited by the prospect of being joined by another great new colleague!

Really looking forward to speaking at this event tomorrow on democracy, and hearing the perspectives of other participants. There's an option to attend online for those who can't join in person - just follow the link below for details.

The Constitution Unit's latest round-up of constitutional developments in the UK is out now!

Between 2019 and 2021, we led the Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland. This examined how any future referendum on the constitutional status of Northern Ireland would be best designed and conducted. Find out more 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo....

Does the elections white paper go far enough? At 1pm today, join @catsmithmp.bsky.social, @rosewhiff.bsky.social, Tom Hawthorn and David Howarth at our free, online event to consider if the government's plans are sufficient to ensure electoral integrity. Sign up 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo....

📢 Do the Government's electoral reforms go far enough? 📺 Looking forward to this @conunitucl.bsky.social event featuring APPG member @catsmithmp.bsky.social 🎯 Ministers must go further: from a truly independent regulator, to a National Commission on Electoral Reform 🔗 ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...

NEW BLOG: How does politics work in Northern Ireland? @lisajames.bsky.social, @conorjkelly.bsky.social and @alanrenwick.bsky.social explain Northern Ireland's politics and political structures, including power-sharing, the impact of Brexit and debates over Northern Ireland's future.

The Constitution Unit has today published a fully updated set of briefings on aspects of politics and the constitution in the UK - with three entirely new briefings added too. See the thread below for tasters and links. Happy reading! We hope the briefings will be super-useful for many people.

ON THE BLOG: Prime Minister's Question Period in the Canadian House of Commons: Lessons in parliamentary reform @ruxandrasrbn.bsky.social explains how Canada's experiment with a Prime Minister's Question Period procedure between 2017 and 2025 worked and how it differed from the traditional model.

Does the elections white paper go far enough? On 24 October, join @catsmithmp.bsky.social, @rosewhiff.bsky.social, Tom Hawthorn and David Howarth at our free, online event to consider if the government's plans are sufficient to ensure electoral integrity. Sign up 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo....

'Democracy is not just about voting, but it is also about thinking through the issues and working out what you think.' Our Deputy Director, @alanrenwick.bsky.social, appeared on David Runciman's Past Present Future podcast to talk about referendums. Listen on YouTube 👇

'Democracy is not just about voting, but it is also about thinking through the issues and working out what you think.' Our Deputy Director, @alanrenwick.bsky.social, is on the latest episode of David Runciman's Past Present Future podcast discussing referendums. Listen on YouTube 👇

Lovely to talk referendums with the ever-insightful David Runciman. This is part of a series on how to fix democracy's problems - definitely worth a listen if you haven't done so yet!

NEW BLOG: Government plans for electoral reform are welcome but contain one serious error of judgement @alanrenwick.bsky.social argues much of what the government proposes is good. But the newly appointed ministers responsible for elections will need to make further progress on some crucial matters

Thoughts from me on the UK government's elections policy paper. In short: many good things, but several points don't go far enough, and there is one big mistake.

Many congratulations to my great colleague Luis Schenoni on this wonderful, richly deserved achievement! @uclspp.bsky.social

Listen to 'Uncovering Politics' for expert insights into both the immediate drivers of the 2024 result and the longer-term transformations reshaping UK politics. With @martamiori.bsky.social @psurridge.bsky.social @profjanegreen.bsky.social @alanrenwick.bsky.social

This, by @alanrenwick.bsky.social, is spot on about the dire impact of Prime Minister's Questions - the flagship event of the parliamentary week. www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...