Constitutional reform

  • 19 Sep 2014

    The unmentionable House of Lords: key to a federal Britain?

    Constitutional reform proposals are flooding out of No. 10 (without much consultation it seems) in the wake of the Scottish referendum. So is now the time for much needed House of Lords reform?

  • 17 May 2011

    House of Lords reform: no fireworks, not even a party popper

    The reform of the House of Lords would have been a big event for the Lib Dems, but after AV, there will be no fireworks – not even a party popper.

  • 29 Jul 2009

    A TV debate will not give voters more choice

    So Peter Mandelson tells us Gordon Brown could handle a TV debate during the elections against David Cameron and Nick Clegg. Mr Cameron has responded by saying he wants one. This returns me to a theme I’ve visited before on Snowblog, and that relates to the nature of our own presidential politics. Britain’s democratic deficit…

  • 10 Jun 2009

    Brown apes Mrs Merton on constitutional reform

    This was Gordon Brown in Mrs Merton mode – “let’s have a heated debate.” On electoral reform, there is nothing the government can do this side of a general election. The Prime Minister is effectively planning the next Labour general election manifesto in which a commitment to electoral reform, some type of additional vote system…

  • 10 Jun 2009

    Constitutional reform: questions for Mr Brown

    Gordon Brown will signal today whether the political classes “get it” when it comes to combating the expenses scandal in parliament. “Getting it” extends well beyond expenses to full-blown reform of our system of governance, as I have written here before.