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 reforming the UK’s constitution and political institutions. So how have those pledges fared since Labour took office? Which promises have been delivered? What unexpected changes have been introduced? And what further reforms will – or should – be on the government’s agenda?

This online conference took stock of constitutional developments in the last year, and looked ahead, with a range of senior speakers including parliamentarians, academics, and commentators.

The newly established Modernisation Committee has set out broad objectives of reforming standards, working practices, and procedure in the House of Commons. The Commons Procedure Committee has also announced a large number of inquiries. What are the priority areas for Commons reform? What should any reforms aim to achieve, and how can they balance competing priorities, for example of strengthening scrutiny and easing MPs’ working lives? How can reforms successfully attract broad support and allow the Commons to work more effectively?

Speakers:

• Cat Smith MP – Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre, and chair of the House of Commons Procedure Committee
• Wendy Chamberlain MP – Liberal Democrat MP for North East Fife, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip, and member of the House of Commons Modernisation Committee
• Dr Hannah White – Director of the Institute for Government

Chair: Dr Tom Fleming – Lecturer in British and Comparative Politics, UCL

Links:

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list

Blog: constitution-unit.com

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 reforming the UK’s constitution and political institutions. So how have those pledges fared since Labour took office? Which promises have been delivered? What unexpected changes have been introduced? And what further reforms will – or should – be on the government’s agenda?

The rule of law

The Lord Chancellor and the Attorney General have both placed great emphasis on this new government upholding the rule of law. What does this mean in practice? Has the government delivered on this aspiration, and what more is needed to do so? What challenges has it faced?

Speakers:

• Andy Slaughter MP – Labour MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick, and chair of the House of Commons Justice Committee
• Baroness (Victoria) Prentis of Banbury KC – Conservative peer, former Attorney General and former Conservative MP
• Dr Joelle Grogan – legal academic and presenter of The Law Show on BBC Radio 4

Chair: Professor Veronika Fikfak – Professor of Human Rights and International Law, UCL

Links:

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list

Blog: constitution-unit.com

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 reforming the UK’s constitution and political institutions. So how have those pledges fared since Labour took office? Which promises have been delivered? What unexpected changes have been introduced? And what further reforms will – or should – be on the government’s agenda?

The electoral system in a multiparty era

The growth of multiparty politics raises questions about whether the First Past the Post electoral system can still be justified. What are the arguments for and against reform? What alternative systems might be considered? And, with ministers saying they will maintain the status quo, is there any way reform could actually come about?

Speakers:

• Peter Lamb MP – Labour MP for Crawley
• Frances Foley – Deputy Director of Compass
• Professor Robert Ford – Professor of Political Science at the University of Manchester

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