The letter raises ECHR/HRA protections for right to free elections in Art 3 Protocol 1, ECHR. May be a good political point, but difficulty with it as a legal argument is that the text is interpreted as excluding local elections - outwith scope as not about the 'choice of the legislature'.

Sunset today 3.16pm. Summer is coming. 🌞

📘 The official edition of the “Preparatory Work” of the Convention is now available in digital format. ➡️ This fully searchable digital PDF has been made possible thanks to @degruyterbrill.bsky.social, which digitised all eight volumes free of charge. www.echr.coe.int/documents/d/...

Farage avoids police investigation over alleged electoral law breach

Our ideas for improving the integrity of UK elections got a shout out in @petergeoghegan.bsky.social's latest "Democracy for Sale" newsletter: democracyforsale.substack.com/p/labours-fo...

The review should be wide-ranging and include weaknesses in the lobbying rules and foreign influence registration scheme, as well as the wider social media landscape and lack of criminal enforcement of our political finance and foreign influence rules.

An academic disliked an Oxford Very Short Introduction (145 pages) in his field so much that he wrote a 200 page book review attacking it. www.pierre-legrand.com/ewExternalFi...

Is there a political question doctrine in EU law? The CJEU long took no position. No more! It has now discovered and applied it. By me: 'From Search to Discovery of the Political Question Doctrine in EU law' in European Law Review, 2025, 50(6), pp. 761-774. URL: uk.westlaw.com/Document/I29...

Anybody hoping that this is going to be a real problem for Farage and Reform should probably calm down and move on. This expert take suggests it's very unlikely to result in anything - for several reasons.

Christmas is a time for giving, appreciating & reflecting on what matters most. For those starting again in Scotland the reality is very different. Give a loved one a meaningful gift: donate in their name to help someone start again in safety. Order a £5 e-gift here: ow.ly/Brg850XA5r7 🧡

NEW: “During my lifetime Scotland has become a much more diverse country. I’m very proud of that” Scotland’s first minister John Swinney explains why the country needs migration as Reform gather support ahead of next May’s Holyrood elections www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

"New research from Democracy for Sale shows that three-quarters of all donations to Reform have come from just three men: Christopher Harborne, Jeremy Hosking and Richard Tice." democracyforsale.substack.com/p/75-of-refo... via @petergeoghegan.bsky.social

I was delighted to receive this beautifully handcrafted Malawian Nativity Set from @sciaf.bsky.social as they celebrate 60 years of work tackling poverty and injustice. It will be on display at @parliament.scot over the festive period - a symbol of Scotland’s enduring friendship with Malawi. 🤝

Savoy Centre concrete sign surviving demolition of Sauchiehall St M&S next door

Stewart Duncan: Reforming Holyrood’s Committees: A Constitutional Perspective ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/11/27/s...

We’ve sent in our concerns and recommendation… watch this space! business.senedd.wales/ieIssueDetai...

📢 NEW: We've launched an inquiry undertaking a detailed review into the purpose and use of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs). Are WPQs still delivering on their intended purpose to uphold transparency and accountability? Submit your views ➡️ committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evi...

UK House of Commons: @commonsproccom.parliament.uk has launched an inquiry undertaking a detailed review of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) committees.parliament.uk/committee/12... Find written questions and answers questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques... #opengov #FOI -relevant

When something is so obviously, so easily, the right thing to do. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Minister confirming that voter ID law will be reformed to permit use of bank cards issued by UK-regulated banks.

No government should be able to meddle with the elections regulator. New Labour set up the Electoral Commission to be an independent watchdog. This Labour government must honour their pre-election rhetoric and restore full independence to the Commission. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

So gallus www.theguardian.com/football/202...

The @houseoflords.parliament.uk Constitution Committee report on the rule of law is now out. It's good to see the committee include legislative scrutiny as a key means of upholding the rule of law (and mention some recent problems with quality of scrutiny). committees.parliament.uk/committee/17...

Q: Are people on universal credit entitled to raise funds to stand for election? A: it's treated as capital for UC purposes & may affect eligibility if total exceeds £6K

In this forthcoming comparative paper, I argue that India's basic structure doctrine and the finality of referendums in Ireland both play an equivalent constitutional role of taking 'final say sovereignty' away from politicians. Pre-publication draft: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Me at the LRB blog on the atrocious refugee policy of Mahmood and Starmer

The legal challenge to Sarah Pochin's win in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election has failed. For readers of Andrew's Previews this result should not come as a surprise. This is what I wrote in advance of the trial: andrewspreviews.substack.com/i/173830744/...

Voting in Denmark is difficult, as it requires you to fold these gigantic ballot papers (up to nearly 1 meter long) and somehow stuff them into the ballot box www.dr.dk/nyheder/indl...

The Prime Minister said in September that we are at a fork in the road. These asylum proposals suggest we have taken the wrong turning. The idea that recognised refugees need to be deported is wrong. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Here's the Govt announcement on proposed changes to rules around suspending councillors, codes of conduct etc. Sounds wonky but actually v important when it comes to rooting out wrongdoers, crooks and donation-hiders (when ministers get round to legislating on it) www.gov.uk/government/n...

MSPs have backed in principle the establishment of a recall system for the Scottish Parliament. www.holyrood.com/news/view,re...

The government has announced that Police and Crime Commissioners will be scrapped in 2028 - which would have been the next elections - saying it will "cut the cost of unnecessary bureaucracy" Many senior police officers have long wanted them gone, as seen here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

EU Commission "democracy shield" plans ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Last week Robert Spano, Jens Elo Peters Rytter, @colmocinneide.bsky.social, @alicedonald.bsky.social and @profveronika.bsky.social discussed the future of the European Convention on Human Rights, including what Denmark has done. Watch a recording of the event at @laws.ucl.ac.uk 👇

Chloe Mawson has been appointed the 66th Clerk of the Parliaments and is the first woman to take up the post. The Clerk of the Parliaments is head of the House of Lords Administration and Chief Procedural Adviser to the House.

‘Fundamental issues’ must be addressed in a Bill which would introduce a process where MSPs could be recalled - potentially losing their seat. The Standards Committee says the Bill needs further thought for it to work. Report: ow.ly/Q5Om50Xn3jP Convener @martinwhitfieldmsp.bsky.social 👇

The Scottish Parliament should introduce a recall system, a cross-party committee has said, but there are “fundamental issues” with the current proposal www.holyrood.com/news/view,ms...

4 Nov, 6PM Dewar Memorial Lecture @uofglasgow.bsky.social will be delivered by David McGill, Clerk & CEO of the @parliament.scot. David will reflect on the Parliament's past 26 years - and how it will face future challenges. Free and open to the public. tix here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reflection...

Andy Goldsworthy

Lady Rose's James Wood Lecture, delivered at the University of Glasgow yesterday: supremecourt.uk/uploads/spee...

Completely fair comments from Cat Smith MP here. So much more is needed and could be done to safeguard electoral law. There's also nothing stopping future Governments from manipulating the Electoral Commission for its own gain. bylinetimes.com/2025/10/31/k...

Story here: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558009...

Counting in 2026 Scottish parliamentary elections will start on Friday morning, not overnight, officials announce, @severincarrell.bsky.social reports - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...