Parliament should have scrutiny powers? How radical can you get?

If you want evidence of how weak the UK’s model of Parliamentary democracy truly is, you only need to glance at this article: Parliament should be able to bypass ministers and launch its own inquiries into issues of “exceptional” public concern such as the Iraq war, MPs say. This is a power that pretty much… Continue reading Parliament should have scrutiny powers? How radical can you get?

Secret plot by Tory donor to rewrite UK constitution by the backdoor

The UK, famously, does not have a codified constitution. We have the beginnings of what is vaguely termed a “supreme court” but it explicitly does not have a constitutional role. How, therefore, does Stuart Wheeler intend to argue the case for his proposal to judicially review the government’s decision not to progress with a referendum… Continue reading Secret plot by Tory donor to rewrite UK constitution by the backdoor

What is a constitution?

It seems I am caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, the Lib Dem PP’s refusal to back a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty under any circumstances is something I’m not happy with. On the other hand, saying so publicly makes me subject to the fatuous braying of Tory bloggers… Continue reading What is a constitution?