Another interesting moment from the recent Billy Bragg interview was how, as a good Essex boy, he called England a blank sheet which was currently largely defined by Scotland. England is of course home to more Scots than the populations of Scotland’s first and third cities combined. Dissent, he suggested, is a thread which runs… Read more
Category:
Constitution
Absolute power depends on our outdated voting system
I feel obliged to point out, since I really think we must beware of our new government, that on a vote of only 44% of the actual voters, it has, as a result of our absurd voting system, been delivered power which is likely to be absolute. The old adage of absolute power corrupting is… Read more
The PM himself surrenders
This is in an encouraging blog from David Allen Green, the ‘intermittent’ FT legal correspondent. The article on yesterday’s Scottish court judgement is well worth reading – even though I’m rather unsure if he – or I – should ever refer to the act as the surrender act… Nevertheless, the conclusion is pretty devastating: British… Read more
Misusing the Monarch …
This was recent letter to the Times which makes a very good point: The Cummings Johnson constitutional wrecking ball would appear to be being used again – and Her Maj is collateral damage – again. It is deliciously ironic that her least favourite PM will have been a Tory. But it is rather worrying that,… Read more
UK Constitution unchanged by Supreme Court
That the Supreme Court has opined in the way it has, seems to be a surprise to many. I have to say not so much to me. They had to make the judgement they did – otherwise they would in fact have CHANGED the UK constitution. Parliament is supreme – not the Executive – aka… Read more
The Divine Right of Government
In difficult times, I’m being conceited enough to suggest that this [necessarily edited] post on Taxresearch.co.uk is worth emphasising…. I doubt very much whether the EU would wish to get involved in the UK constitutional arrangements. I’d suggest they are far more likely to give us a unilateral extension to enable us to sort it… Read more
The importance of the Speaker
John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has now annouced by the 31 October he will be the ex Speaker. I wonder whether this will affect Andrea Leadsom’s plan to put up a candidiate in his seat. Although I hold no brief for Ms Leadsom it does seem to me it is another… Read more
Does Cummings know about democracy?
I’ve no doubt Dominic Cummings (or as the hashtag on Twitter goes: #shortcummings) is intelligent, but it seems to me he is an evident sociopath. The means seem to justify the ends. Thus short termism reigns. Brexit, even if achieved – deal or no deal – will not of course not be the end, just… Read more
The constitutional future
I confess that I consider The Queen was very ill-served by her advisors (private secretary?) in granting prorogation of Parliament so readily to Johnson. She is supposed to make her decisions in conjunction with the Privy Council, but it turns out only two of them – both from the government – were there. ls it… Read more