The Constitution Unit
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The Constitution Unit
The Constitution Unit conducts timely, rigorous, independent research into constitutional change and the reform of political institutions. Our research has significant real-world impact, informing policy-makers engaged in such changes - both in the United Kingdom and around the world. On this chann...
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Six Prime Ministers and a Brexit: Meg Russell Reflects on British Democracy
Six prime ministers, a Brexit referendum, and an (unlawful) prorogation of parliament — it has been an extraordinary decade to lead the UCL Constituti...
Constitution Unit Conference 2026: The Representation of the People Bill
Parliament is currently considering the Representation of the People Bill. As well as lowering the voting age for UK elections to 16, this legislation...
What next for standards in public life?
Improving standards in public life was a key plank of Labour’s promise to be different from its predecessors in government. In opposition, the party p...
Constitution Unit Conference 2026: Making policy on difficult issues
The last year has seen much discussion of how policymakers should approach changing the law in unusually difficult policy areas. In particular, failed...
Constitution Unit Conference 2026: How should political parties choose their leaders?
Uncertainty over Keir Starmer’s future has revived interest in the question – familiar from previous Conservative governments – of how political parti...
Constitution Unit Conference 2026: How can public confidence in UK democracy be restored?
The British public’s faith in the political system is in serious need of repair. This is particularly urgent given international fears about a wider t...
Constitution Unit Conference 2026: UK–EU relations ten years after the referendum
This opening panel is held 10 years to the day since the 2016 ‘Brexit’ referendum result was announced. As was predicted at the time, neither the refe...
Professor Meg Russell's valedictory lecture as Director of the Constitution Unit
On 12 May 2026, Professor Meg Russell FBA's time as Director of the UCL Constitution Unit culminated in her delivering a valedictory lecture at the In...
The future of BBC governance
The government has begun the process of reviewing the BBC’s royal charter for its renewal beyond 2027. This process raises fundamental questions about...
How will the 2026 Senedd election change Welsh politics?
The 2026 Senedd (Welsh Parliament) election may be one of the most significant since the start of devolution. Much attention is rightly being given to...
Can the House of Commons handle multi-party politics?
The 2024 election delivered an unusually fragmented opposition; almost half the non-government seats in the House of Commons were won by parties other...
Demystifying the UK honours system
The UK awards hundreds of honours each year to mark notable achievements and contributions to society. These awards – such as knighthoods, damehoods,...
The Future of the ECHR – In Europe and UK
Please note that, in places, the microphones momentarily failed to record the proceedings at this event. We apologise.
In the UK, calls for the...
Do the government's electoral reforms go far enough?
The UK government published an elections policy paper in the summer, including proposals for votes at 16, automated electoral registration, and streng...
How should the UK's parliaments scrutinise international agreements?
Many of the highest-profile political issues – including trade, security, and immigration – are now shaped by international treaties and agreements. T...
England’s ‘devolution revolution’: prospects and challenges
The UK government has promised a ‘devolution revolution’ in England, with major changes to the structure of regional and local government, and has pub...
Labour’s Constitutional Agenda in Office: Constitution Unit Conference 2025 - Reflections on Labour’s constitutional agenda
This summer marks a year since Labour’s landslide victory at the 2024 general election. The party’s manifesto contained a number of pledges for reform...
Labour’s Constitutional Agenda in Office: Constitution Unit Conference 2025 - Reforming the House of Commons
This summer marks a year since Labour’s landslide victory at the 2024 general election. The party’s manifesto contained a number of pledges for reform...
Labour’s Constitutional Agenda in Office: Constitution Unit Conference 2025 - The rule of law
This summer marks a year since Labour’s landslide victory at the 2024 general election. The party’s manifesto contained a number of pledges for reform...
Labour’s Constitutional Agenda in Office: Constitution Unit Conference 2025 - The electoral system in a multiparty era
This summer marks a year since Labour’s landslide victory at the 2024 general election. The party’s manifesto contained a number of pledges for reform...
Labour’s Constitutional Agenda in Office: Constitution Unit Conference 2025 - Standards in public life
This summer marks a year since Labour’s landslide victory at the 2024 general election. The party’s manifesto contained a number of pledges for reform...
Labour’s Constitutional Agenda in Office: Constitution Unit Conference 2025 - Opening keynote from Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office
This summer marks a year since Labour’s landslide victory at the 2024 general election. The party’s manifesto contained a number of pledges for reform...
AI and democracy
Artificial intelligence (AI) is predicted to transform many aspects of our lives in the coming years. One of these is the functioning of the democrati...
Reform of Stormont: Options for Discussion
Talk of possible reforms to the Stormont institutions has been growing recently, spurred by concerns about repeated institutional collapses, perceived...
Are the UK’s party funding regulations fit for purpose?
Political parties are central to the functioning of representative democracy in the UK, playing a crucial role during and between elections. How parti...
Constitutional Reform in the UK
Politics in the UK has been in turmoil in recent years — Brexit, Covid, movements for independence in Scotland and Northern Ireland, rule-breaking Pri...
Improving parliamentary scrutiny of legislation
Recent years have seen frequent complaints about the quality of legislative scrutiny by parliament, and particularly by the House of Commons. Various...
The Politics of Parliamentary Reform
Parliament is at the heart of democracy—it’s where voters are represented, laws are debated, and key decisions are made. But who really controls what...
Making a success of votes at 16
The Labour government has committed to lowering the voting age for Westminster elections from 18 to 16. This proposal raises a number of questions for...
Improving election discourse in the UK
This year’s UK general election saw a range of concerns about the quality of election discourse. Alongside evidence of many candidates facing abuse an...
How to be an effective opposition
Opposition parties play a crucial role in parliamentary democracy, scrutinising the government and putting forward alternative policies. But what make...
How to be an effective select committee chair
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 accoun...
Prospects for the House of Commons Modernisation Committee
The House of Commons has established a new Modernisation Committee with a remit ‘to consider reforms to House of Commons procedures, standards, and wo...
Constitution Unit Conference 2024: House of Lords reform
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...
Constitution Unit Conference 2024: Rule of law
The role of courts and judges has been controversial in recent years, with criticism of both domestic judges and the European Court of Human Rights. S...
Constitution Unit Conference 2024: Devolution within England
The last two decades have seen major changes in the structure of sub-national government within England, with the gradual devolution of powers to a ra...
Constitution Unit Conference 2024: Standards in government and parliament
The 2019–24 parliament has been dogged by complaints of low standards of conduct by our politicians. Rishi Sunak has committed to upholding the ideals...
Opinion Polls
The podcast originally appeared on 'Uncovering Politics' from UCL's Department of Political Science.
In the run up to the UK General Election w...
Priorities for new MPs' induction in the next parliament
Whatever the result of the upcoming general election, a large number of new MPs will enter the House of Commons. A well-designed induction programme w...
Changes and challenges in regulating elections
Recent years have seen many changes to election regulations in the UK. These changes affect key aspects of how elections are fought and administered,...