The Constitution Unit

Opposition parties play a crucial role in parliamentary democracy, scrutinising the government and putting forward alternative policies. But what makes opposition parties effective, both inside parliament and beyond? As the Conservative Party announced its new leader, this expert panel with first-hand experience of life in opposition discussed the task facing them and the other opposition parties.Speakers:Baroness (Kate) Fall – former Deputy Chief of Staff to David Cameron, and Conservative peerProfessor Marc Stears – former chief speechwriter to the Labour Party, and Director of the UCL Policy LabDr Nigel Fletcher – co-founder of the Centre for Opposition StudiesChair: Professor Meg Russell – Director of the Constitution Unit LinksWebsite: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unitMailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involvedBlog: https://constitution-unit.com/

This autumn the House of Commons has elected a raft of new select committee chairs who will play an important role in holding the government to account over the coming years. But there are many ways to chair a select committee, and new chairs will need to think carefully about what they want to achieve and how to go about it.This webinar brings together three senior former MPs and select committee chairs to discuss their experiences, and their reflections on how to use the role most effectively.Speakers:Baroness (Margaret) Hodge of Barking – former chair of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, Labour peer, and former Labour MPSir Charles Walker – former chair of the House of Commons Procedure Committee and Administration Committee, and former Conservative MPJoanna Cherry KC – former chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights and former SNP MPChair: Lisa James – Senior Research Fellow at the Constitution Unit LinksWebsite: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unitMailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involvedBlog: https://constitution-unit.com/

The House of Commons has established a new Modernisation Committee with a remit ‘to consider reforms to House of Commons procedures, standards, and working practices’. This reflects a Labour manifesto commitment, and echoes the Modernisation Committee appointed in 1997 under the last Labour government.As the committee gets up and running this autumn, it faces a number of important questions. How should it approach its work, what issues might it address, and what lessons can it learn from past efforts to reform the Commons? We discussed these questions with an expert panel.Speakers:Greg Power – former special adviser to two Leaders of the House of Commons, and Founder and Board Chair of Global Partners GovernanceDr Sue Griffiths – Clerk to the previous House of Commons Modernisation Committee 2007–08, and Managing Director of Social Development DirectDr Tom Fleming – Lecturer in British and Comparative Politics, Constitution UnitChair: Professor Meg Russell – Director of the Constitution UnitUseful reading:Commons Modernisation Committee publishes key strategic aims for reformThe House of Commons Modernisation Committee: background, opportunities, and potential pitfalls by Tom Fleming and Hannah KellyThe personal side of parliamentary reform by Greg PowerFor those interested in keeping up to date with the Modernisation Committee, you can subscribe to its email list using this link. LinksWebsite: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unitMailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involvedBlog: https://constitution-unit.com/

The composition and role of the House of Lords are subject to frequent question. Since the last major change by a Labour government in 1999, proposals for further reform have ranged from wholesale change – e.g. creating an elected second chamber of the nations and regions – to smaller alterations to change the appointments system or to limit the chamber’s size. To what extent should a new government prioritise House of Lords reform, and what specifically should be the priorities? If the Conservatives lose office, what challenges might be posed by their still being the largest single group in the upper chamber?  LinksWebsite: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unitMailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involvedBlog: https://constitution-unit.com/