EVENTS
Forthcoming Events
A broken constitution?
towards a new settlement
A broken constitution?
towards a new settlement
3 - Keeping the government in check
Tuesday 19th January
6:30-8:00pm
Refreshments
Over the past eight years the government has made several attempts to introduce legislation giving ministers powers to vary or suspend statute without Parliamentary consent and limiting the power of the courts to review administrative actions. Constitutional changes have been made with little or no public debate. To some, these attempts provide compelling evidence of the absolutist ambitions of the executive – ambitions that, ironically, have often been thwarted by the unelected second chamber.
But is the danger of authoritarianism being exaggerated? And if it isn’t, what should be done about it? Some argue that nothing short of a written constitution can limit the power of an over-mighty executive. Would this aggravate the perception of a ‘democratic deficit’ as legislative power passes from politicians to a newly politicised judiciary?
Participants:
- Lord Maclennan of Rogart, co-author of Cook Maclennan Agreement
- Sir Richard Mottram, former Permanent Secretary, Intelligence, Security and Resilience in the Cabinet Office
- Professor Adam Tomkins, University of Glasgow
- David Hencke, Journalist
A broken constitution?
towards a new settlement
4 - Reforming the House of Commons
Tuesday 26 January
6:30-8:00pm
Refreshments
According to some, there was reason enough to reform the House of Commons even before the expenses scandal broke. The rise of the ‘career politician’; the growth in the number of MPs on the government ‘payroll’; the strength of the whip system; the increase in the volume of government legislation – all have been blamed for the shift of power from the legislature to the executive in recent years.
But, has the expenses scandal actually made it less likely that Parliament will assert itself once again? Are MPs now too cowed and demoralised to wrest back control of their own institution and hold the government properly to account?
Participants:
- Professor Philip Cowley, Nottingham University
- Peter Oborne, Columnist, Daily Mail
- Steve Richards, The Independent
A broken constitution?
towards a new settlement
5 - Delivering enduring change
Tuesday 2 February
6:30-8:00pm
Refreshments
Constitutional reform is back near the top of the political agenda as a result of the Parliamentary expenses scandal. Everyone is now agreed that change is needed, but there is little or no agreement about what those changes should be. Each week, new reforms – some populist, some partisan, all piecemeal – are offered up by the political parties, with little apparent regard for their wider constitutional impact. It isn’t at all clear that politicians are capable, on their own, of properly handling these issues.
For this reason, many believe that a constitutional convention should be established to bring together, in a holistic fashion, the large number of issues (and stakeholders) involved. But what should be the product of such a convention – a simple report or a draft Written Constitution? And should such a constitution be put, in its entirety, to a referendum, or should plebiscites be used only in relation to specific constitutional changes? And how can we best ensure that political calculations of party self-interest aren’t able to delay or derail the process, and that there is proper consideration and debate of issues which will affect generations to come?
Participants:
- Professor Sir John Baker, St Catherine’s College, Cambridge
- Lord (Jim) Wallace of Tankerness, former Deputy First Minister, Scottish Executive
- Professor Vernon Bogdanor, Brasenose College, Oxford '
- Peter Riddell, Chair of the Hansard Society and Senior Fellow of the Institute for Government