The Constitution Unit
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Top 10 The Constitution Unit Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Constitution Unit episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Constitution Unit for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Constitution Unit episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Constitution Unit Conference 2024: House of Lords reform
The Constitution Unit
07/02/24 • 72 min
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 for further reform have ranged from wholesale change – e.g. creating an elected second chamber of the nations and regions – to smaller alterations to change the appointments system or to limit the chamber’s size. To what extent should a new government prioritise House of Lords reform, and what specifically should be the priorities? If the Conservatives lose office, what challenges might be posed by their still being the largest single group in the upper chamber?
Links:
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list
Blog: constitution-unit.com
Constitution Unit Conference 2024: Rule of law
The Constitution Unit
07/01/24 • 72 min
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. Several government bills have raised difficult questions about the respective roles of government, parliament, and the courts. Has the rule of law been undermined by recent trends in policymaking or political discourse? If so, what should be done to bolster and protect it in the future?
Links:
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list
Blog: constitution-unit.com
Constitution Unit Conference 2024: Devolution within England
The Constitution Unit
06/28/24 • 74 min
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 range of new mayors and combined authorities. How should this patchwork of devolution be built upon? Should structures be more consistent across the country? Should further powers be devolved, and – if so – to whom? What steps are required to ensure that this devolved power faces appropriate scrutiny and accountability?
Speakers:
- Professor Tony Travers – Director of LSE London and Visiting Professor at the LSE
- Professor Joanie Willett – Associate Professor in Politics and Co-Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies, University of Exeter
- Akash Paun – Programme Director, Institute for Government
- Ed Cox – Executive Director for Strategy, Economy and Net Zero at the West Midlands Combined Authority
Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit
Links:
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list
Blog: constitution-unit.com
Constitution Unit Conference 2024: Standards in government and parliament
The Constitution Unit
06/27/24 • 72 min
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 of ‘integrity, professionalism, and accountability’, while Labour has promised to overhaul how standards are regulated in government and parliament. What are the priorities in this area for a new government to address? Does this require cultural changes, institutional reforms, or both? Which changes or reforms might be most effective?
Speakers:
- Dominic Grieve KC – Chair of the UK Governance Project, former Attorney General and Conservative MP
- Peter Riddell – former Commissioner for Public Appointments, Director of the Institute for Government and journalist
- Tim Durrant – Programme Director, Institute for Government
Chair: Professor Meg Russell FBA – Director of the Constitution Unit
Episode links:
The joint statement on standards
Links:
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list
Blog: constitution-unit.com
Priorities for new MPs' induction in the next parliament
The Constitution Unit
06/05/24 • 75 min
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 will be crucial for helping them to find their feet and become effective parliamentarians. So what do new MPs need to know about their roles in parliament and beyond? How might this differ from in the past, and how might such induction best be delivered? We discussed these questions with experts from the Hansard Society and Institute for Government, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, and a former MP.
Speakers
- Dr Ruth Fox – Director of the Hansard Society
- Dr Hannah White – Director of the Institute for Government
- Daniel Greenberg – Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
- Alistair Burt – former Conservative MP and minister
Chair: Professor Meg Russell – Director of the Constitution Unit
Links:
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list
Blog: constitution-unit.com
Changes and challenges in regulating elections
The Constitution Unit
04/30/24 • 72 min
Recent years have seen many changes to election regulations in the UK. These changes affect key aspects of how elections are fought and administered, including party spending, voter identification, the voting rights of citizens living abroad, and the electoral system used to elect mayors and police and crime commissioners.
So what has changed, what effects might these changes have, and what challenges do they present for parties, candidates, and electoral administrators? An expert panel discussed these questions a week before the 2 May local elections.
Speakers
- Laura Lock – Deputy Chief Executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators
- Lord (Paul) Tyler – Liberal Democrat peer and former MP, co-author of the 2023 book Can Parliament Take Back Control?
- Professor Alistair Clark – Professor of Political Science, Newcastle University
Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit
Read a briefing from the Hansard Society on general election rules and regulations: https://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications/briefings/general-election-rules-and-regulations.
Links:
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list
Blog: constitution-unit.com
UK Governance Project: proposals for reform
The Constitution Unit
03/05/24 • 74 min
On 1 February a cross-party expert commission, the UK Governance Project, chaired by former Conservative Attorney General Dominic Grieve, published its report. It makes various proposals for improving governance standards in the UK, aimed at restoring high standards of integrity in public office, enhancing the role of parliament, improving working between ministers and the civil service, and protecting democracy. What are the commission’s proposals? How could they be implemented? Could they improve how the UK is governed?
This webinar will discuss the commission’s report with its chair, Dominic Grieve, and Helen MacNamara, another member of the commission, with opportunities for the audience to put questions to its authors.
Speakers:
- Dominic Grieve – chair of the UK Governance Project, former Attorney General for England and Wales, and former Conservative MP for Beaconsfield
- Helen MacNamara – former Deputy Cabinet Secretary and Director General of the Cabinet Office Propriety and Constitution Group
Chair: Professor Meg Russell – Director of the Constitution Unit
Further reading:
Read a summary of the report on our blog by Dominic Grieve
Links:
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list
Blog: constitution-unit.com
The Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales: UK-Wide Implications
The Constitution Unit
03/01/24 • 76 min
The Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales launched its final report in January 2024. Its recommendations – which assessed options for ‘entrenched devolution’, full federalism, and Welsh independence – have implications for the whole UK. How would such arrangements be viewed outside Wales? How would they function in practice? Would they affect constitutional debates in Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland?
This webinar discusses these UK-wide implications with an expert panel including the Commission’s Co-chair, Professor Laura McAllister.
Speakers:
- Laura McAllister - Professor of Public Policy at Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre and co-chair of the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales
- Nicola McEwen - Professor of Public Policy in the College of Social Sciences and Director of the Centre for Public Policy at the University of Glasgow
- Ciaran Martin - Professor of Practice in the Management of Public Organisations at the Blavatnik School of Government and former Constitution Director in the Cabinet Office
Chair: Alan Renwick - Professor of Democratic Politics and Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit
Links:
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list
Blog: constitution-unit.com
How Parliaments Question Prime Ministers
The Constitution Unit
01/25/24 • 37 min
How parliaments hold ministers (particularly prime ministers) to account is a fundamental part of parliamentary democracy. And one of those mechanisms of accountability involves asking questions.
We take a good hard look at how – and how effectively – parliaments question prime ministers.
We are joined by Dr Ruxandra Serban, Associate Lecturer in Democratic and Authoritarian Politics here in the UCL Department of Political Science. Her research focuses directly on parliamentary questioning processes.
Links:
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list
Blog: constitution-unit.com
Improving parliamentary scrutiny of legislation
The Constitution Unit
03/13/25 • 74 min
Recent years have seen frequent complaints about the quality of legislative scrutiny by parliament, and particularly by the House of Commons. Various commentators and experts have argued that the scrutiny of proposed laws is too often rushed and/or inadequate, leading to worse policy outcomes for citizens. This online seminar will explore a number of important questions. What problems are there with the legislative process? Have they got worse? And what can be done to fix them?
Speakers:
- Professor Meg Russell – Director of the Constitution Unit
- Sir David Natzler – former Clerk of the House of Commons
- Dr Daniel Gover – Senior Lecturer in British Politics, Queen Mary University of London
Chair: Lisa James – Senior Research Fellow, Constitution Unit
Further reading
Prof Meg Russell's research on the decline of parliamentary scrutiny
Prof Meg Russell and Dr Daniel Gover's book: Legislation at Westminster: Parliamentary Actors and Influence in the Making of British Law
Links:
Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit
Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list
Blog: constitution-unit.com
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Constitution Unit have?
The Constitution Unit currently has 86 episodes available.
What topics does The Constitution Unit cover?
The podcast is about News, Political Science, Constitution, Uk Politics, Podcasts, Politics and Government.
What is the most popular episode on The Constitution Unit?
The episode title 'Constitution Unit Conference 2024: Rule of law' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Constitution Unit?
The average episode length on The Constitution Unit is 66 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Constitution Unit released?
Episodes of The Constitution Unit are typically released every 12 days, 20 hours.
When was the first episode of The Constitution Unit?
The first episode of The Constitution Unit was released on Jan 14, 2020.
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