Watching the watchers
This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit proposes legislative and other changes to make the Intelligence and Security committee more effective. The Intelligence and Security Committee – the joint parliamentary committee that oversees the intelligence community – has too often been constrained and obstructed in its activities and investigations. This new report, by...
Reforming the Commons
This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit guides backbench MPs on how to achieve procedural change. Reforming how the House of Commons operates can be difficult, and even daunting, for those MPs who want to change the system. However, such reform is achievable, and past campaigns have accomplished it in multiple areas. This...
Improving government in Northern Ireland
This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit calls for a debate on more effective politics in Northern Ireland. It has long been argued in Northern Ireland that the devolved institutions are failing to deliver effective public policy and services. In recent months, this criticism has intensified. This report, the fourth of this project...
Reform of Stormont
This report from UK think tank The Constitution Unit sets out possible reforms to the ways in which Northern Ireland’s devolved government works. Over a quarter of a century since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in 1998, Northern Ireland is rightly celebrated around the world as offering a model for how to build...
The Constitutional landscape
This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit provides a concise overview of the current situation and possible reforms in 31 areas. The Labour government came to power in 2024 proposing constitutional reforms in a number of areas. This followed a decade which often saw debates about constitutional topics arise. Some of the government's...
MPs’ role in the constitution
This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit aims to help MPs navigate their core constitutional functions. MPs hold a huge and important job, and one which is central to the UK’s constitutional system. But they also have busy lives and numerous pressing demands on their time, which can make it easy to lose...
Northern Ireland
This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit looks at the challenges for the next Westminster government. Whatever the result of the upcoming general election, a new Westminster government may want to comprehensively reappraise the way that it addresses Northern Ireland issues, a new Constitution Unit report says. The report, which offers an agenda...
Delivering House of Commons reform
This report from UK think tank The Constitution Unit explores different institutional vehicles for developing and delivering proposals for House of Commons reform. Recent years have seen many proposals for reforming the internal procedures of the House of Commons, against a backdrop of clear public dissatisfaction with parliament. Less attention has been given to the...
Trust in public life
This report from UK think tank The Constitution Unit argues that there is an urgent need to rebuild the system for upholding standards in public life. Constitutional watchdogs are the guardians of the system for upholding standards. This project concerns seven constitutional watchdogs which monitor the conduct of the executive: the Advisory Committee on Business...
The future of democracy in the UK
This report from UK think tank the Constitution Unit looks at public attitudes and policy responses to democracy in the UK. Over the last three years, the Constitution Unit has conducted detailed research into public attitudes to democracy in the UK. This has comprised two large-scale surveys of the UK population, conducted in summer 2021...