Kenneth Campbell QC: The draft Scotland Bill and limits in constitutional statutes
On 22 January, and within the timetable dictated by Gordon Brown, the UK Government’s proposals for ‘an enduring settlement’ between Scotland and the rest of the UK appeared in a … Continue reading
Mark Elliott: A “Permanent” Scottish Parliament and the Sovereignty of the UK Parliament: Four Perspectives
The Report of the Smith Commission for Further Devolution of Powers to the Scottish Parliament has been published. It contains an array of significant proposals concerning the devolution of further authority to … Continue reading
Stephen Tierney: Is a Federal Britain Now Inevitable?
The Smith Commission Report issued today promises a restructuring of the United Kingdom which may prove to be more significant than the devolution settlement of 1997-98 itself; the acquisition of … Continue reading
Stephen Tierney: Solomon Grundy Does Constitutional Change: The Smith Commission Timetable to Transform the Scottish Parliament
In the month of November the Smith Commission is set to draw up the most significant programme of constitutional change for the United Kingdom since 1998. Already the period within … Continue reading
Robert Hazell:You want a constitutional convention? This is what you need to think through first.
In the run up to the Scottish independence referendum, and its aftermath, calls have grown for a constitutional convention to discuss further devolution, as well as wider constitutional reforms. Yet … Continue reading
Sionaidh Douglas-Scott: British withdrawal from the EU: an existential threat to the United Kingdom?
The Conservative party’s proposal to repeal the Human Rights Act (and their proposal’s many faults) has already been well documented. However, as Roger Masterman has already pointed out on this … Continue reading
Aileen McHarg: The Vow: Vote No for More Devo
Today’s papers carry the text of a pledge by David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg that a No vote in Thursday’s referendum is not a vote for the status … Continue reading
Ann Sherlock: Supreme Court ruling on Welsh legislation.
On 9 July 2014, the Supreme Court delivered its unanimous ruling that the Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill was within the legislative competence of the National Assembly for Wales. The Bill … Continue reading
Nick Barber: After the Vote
At 650 pages Scotland’s Future is not a light read. It stands as the Scottish Government’s manifesto for a yes vote in the independence referendum. The volume ranges from profoundly … Continue reading
Mark Elliott: Devolution, the West Lothian Question, and the nature of constitutional reform in the United Kingdom
Earlier this week, the McKay Commission published its Report on the Consequences of Devolution for the House of Commons. The Commission’s terms of reference required it to determine “how the … Continue reading
