The government had a wide-ranging agenda for constitutional reforms on page 48 of its 2019 election manifesto. This conference, co-organised by the Constitution Unit, the Department of Politics & International Relations at the University of Oxford, and UK in a Changing Europe (UKICE), broughtÌýtogether politicians, policy-makers and academic experts to discuss the government’s progress so far, and what lies ahead. This page contains video and audio recordings of the panel and Q&A sessionsÌýfrom across the two-day conference, and links to suggested reading materials.
Day 1, Thursday 17 June
- Panel 1: Keynote speech by Robert Buckland QC MP
- Panel 2: Judicial review, human rights and judiciaryÌý
- Panel 3:ÌýReview of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
Day 2, Friday 18 June
- Panel 1: Elections and referendums - updating campaign regulation for a digital era
- Panel 2:ÌýDevolution and future of the Union
- Panel 3:ÌýRe-balancing between parliament, executive and the courts
Keynote speech: Overview of the government's agenda
Speaker:ÌýLord Chancellor,ÌýRobert BucklandÌýQC MP.
Chair: ProfÌýMeg RussellÌýFBA, Constitution Unit, UCL.
Ìý
Suggested reading:
- by Robert Buckland, published 17 June 2021.Ìý
- by Colm O'CinneideÌýonÌýVerfassungsblogÌý(referencedÌýin the transcript of the speech), published 16 April 2021.
- byÌýJohn TasioulasÌýonÌýAeon EssaysÌý(referencedÌýin the transcript of the speech), published 29 January 2021.Ìý
- , response to Buckland's speech by Joshua Rozenberg on A Lawyer Writes,Ìýpublished 19 June 2021.Ìý
- , response to Buckland's speech by Jonathan Jones on the Institute for Government blog, published 19 June 2021.Ìý
- , response to Buckland's speech by Jonathan Jones in the Independent,Ìýpublished 19 June 2021.Ìý
Judicial review, human rights and judiciary
Speakers: Lord FaulksÌýQC, Chair of the Independent Review of Administrative Law;Ìý Prof Kate O'Regan,ÌýDirector of the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Oxford; Joshua RozenbergÌýQC (Hon), legal commentator and journalist.
Chair: Prof Catherine Barnard, Oxford and UKICE.
Suggested reading:
- ,Ìýby Joe Tomlinson and Lewis Graham for the ConstitutionÌýUnit blog, published 29 January 2021.ÌýÌý
- Ìýby Paul Craig for the UKCLA blog, published 22 March 2021.Ìý
Review of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011
Speakers:ÌýLord McLoughlin, Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Review of the FTPA; Chris Bryant MP, member of the Joint Committee on Review of FTPA; Prof Petra Schleiter, Oxford; and Prof Alison Young, Cambridge.
Chair: Prof Meg Russell FBA, Constitution Unit, UCL.
- ,ÌýbyÌýRobert HazellÌýon the Constitution Unit blog, published 5 February 2021.Ìý
- ,Ìýby Robert Hazell and Meg Russell on the Constitution Unit blog, published 12 April 2021.Ìý
- byÌýRobert Hazell and Meg Russell to the Joint Committee on the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act.
- ,Ìýby Alison Young on theÌýUKCLA blog, published 4 December 2020.Ìý
- ,ÌýbyÌýMark Elliott in theÌýPublic Law for Everyone blog, published 2 December 2020.
Elections and Referendums - updating campaign regulation for a digital era
Speakers:ÌýJohn Pullinger, Chair of Electoral Commission; DrÌýKate Dommett, Sheffield; and ProfÌýRachel Gibson, Manchester.
Chair: Dr Alan Renwick, Constitution Unit, UCL.
Suggested reading:Ìý
- , by Alan Renwick and Charlotte Kincaid on the Constitution Unit blog, published 7 October 2020.
- , by Alan Renwick on the Constitution Unit blog, published 12 February 2020.
- , by Kate Dommett onÌýthe Constitution Unit blog, published 18 June 2021.
- , by Alex Walker on the Constitution Unit blog, published 13 April 2021.Ìý
- Ìýpolicy brief by Toby S. James, Stuart Wilks-Heeg and Alistair Clark, mentioned by Kate Dommett in response to a question on voter ID, published 2 May 2021.Ìý
- , written statement made by Chloe Smith (Minister for the Constitution) on 17 June 2021.
DevolutionÌýand the future of the Union
Speakers:ÌýProfÌýAdam Tomkins, Glasgow; ProfÌýLaura McAllister, Cardiff; ProfÌýKaty Hayward, Queen’s University Belfast; and ProfÌýJohn Denham, Southampton.
Chair: ProfÌýRobert Hazell, Constitution Unit, UCL.
Suggested reading:Ìý
- , by Michael Keating onÌýthe Constitution Unit blog, published 28 April 2021.Ìý
- , by Akash Paun onÌýthe Constitution Unit blog, published 31 May 2021.Ìý
- The Final Report by the Working Group on Unification Referendums on the Island of Ireland, published by the Constitution Unit on 26 May 2021.
- , by Nicola McEwen onÌýthe Centre on Constitutional Change blog, published 11 September 2020.
- , by John Denham and Daniel Devine,ÌýPolitical Quarterly,ÌýAugust 2018.
- , by Laura McAllisterÌýfor the National Assembly for Wales, published 2017.Ìý
- ‘, Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny,ÌýParliamentary Affairs, 2018.Ìý
Re-balancing between parliament, executive and the courts
Speakers:ÌýDominic GrieveÌýQC, former Attorney General;ÌýPeter Riddell, Commissioner for Public Appointments; ProfÌýMeg RussellÌýFBA, Constitution Unit, UCL; and ProfÌýTim Bale, Queen Mary, University of London.
Chair:ÌýProfÌýPetra Schleiter, Oxford
Suggested reading:Ìý
- , by Peter Riddell onÌýtheÌýConstitutionÌýUnit blog, published 16 May 2021.ÌýÌý
- ,ÌýbyÌýStephan Haggard and Robert R Kaufman on the Constitution Unit blog, published 10 June 2021.Ìý
- , by Meg Russell, RuthÌýFox, RonanÌýCormacainÌýand Joe Tomlinson onÌýthe Constitution Unit blog, published 21 April 2021.Ìý
- , by Meg Russell and Alan Renwick onÌýthe Constitution Unit blog, published 14 February 2021.Ìý