On procedure and politics

Beginning to think is beginning to be undermined

It’s important to have a cheer line

I certainly don’t plan on writing an analysis of PMQs every week, but when there is something noteworthy, I will make a point of, well, noting it. This week’s PMQs were noteworthy primarily for something that happened outside of PMQs. It seems Labour has sprung a leak. The Times got hold of an internal party [...]

More UK Committee links

I am continuing to follow the hearings of both the House of Lords’ Constitution Committee and the House of Commons’ Political and Constitutional Reform Committee. The HOL Committee is currently studying the matter of fixed term parliaments, as they consider the Fixed Term Parliaments bill, while the HOC Committee is conducting a more general investigation [...]

PMQs Impressions: Cameron v. Miliband

In a previous post on Ed Miliband’s election as leader of the Labour Party, I noted that I couldn’t help but feel that David Cameron would wipe the floor with him during Prime Minister’s Questions. This impression was based primarily on my reaction to Miliband’s speech after the results were announced. I’d never heard him [...]

Fixed-term parliaments

I am rather busy these days and so don’t have the luxury of time to work on an original post, so please forgive me for spamming you with videos! This is a meeting of the House of Lords Constitution Committee examining the issue of fixed-term parliaments. Of special interest (maybe) for Canadians is that one [...]

Lessons on the process of government formation

I previously posted that the UK”s Political and Constitutional Reform Committee would begin an ad hoc review into the process of government formation following the general election in May. On October 14, the Rt. Hon. David Laws and Lord Adonis testified before the Committee, relating their experiences as part of the Liberal Democrat and Labour [...]

Book Review: The High Road

Previously, I posted a brief review of  The Best Laid Plans, a novel by Terry Fallis. I’ve recently finished reading the sequel, The High Road, which continues the adventures of Angus McLintock, rookie Liberal MP from Cumberland-Prescott. Warning: I will do my best to avoid major spoilers, but since this is a sequel, it’s somewhat [...]

On Senate Reform

(For an analysis of the proposed Canadian Senate reform bill, click here.) The Coalition Government has pledged to reform the House of Lords, making it fully elected, and that in time for the proposed May 2015 election. An article in The Independent threw a bit of cold water on that goal, however. The changes proposed [...]

United We Stand?

I am working on a couple of actual blog posts, but in the interim, I thought I would recommend the following report. United We Stand? Coalition Government in the UK (pdf) is a comprehensive study of coalition government in the UK, analysing the functioning of the coalition in its first four months, and makes a [...]

Revisiting the Fixed-Term Parliaments Bill

Last month, Dr Malcolm Jack, Clerk of the House of Commons, gave evidence before the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee as part of their consideration of the Government’s Fixed-Term Parliaments Bill. Dr. Jack raised concerns that the bill as written might risk bringing the internal proceedings of the House into the ambit [...]

Cameron’s conference speech

I watched most of David Cameron’s keynote speech at the Conservative Party Conference today. I was at work at the time, so did miss bits and pieces here and there, but managed to catch the high points, I think. As some commentators had forewarned, Cameron did seem to be channeling his inner JFK. First there [...]

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