debates on constitutional reform

Question 1

what constitutional reforms were there during Labour’s rule?

Answer 1

• House of Lords reform act 1999 - 92 hereditary peers
• Scottish parliament act 1998
• HRA 1998
• supreme court 2005

Question 2

what constituional reform was there during the coalition?

Answer 2

• fixed term parliament act 2011

- further devolution to wales

Question 3

what are the debates against further lords reform?

Answer 3

• membership is now based on merit not inheritance
• lords has played big role in holding govt to account on issues such as BREXIT
• there is not much to gain from having a second chamber which mirrors the commons

Question 4

what are the debates for further reform for the lords?

Answer 4

• Lords is fundamentally undemocratic - still 92 hereditary peers
• the UK has an elected dictatorship with the commons so having a more powerful, yet more democratic upper house could counter this
• good chance to use a different electoral system so it wont mirror commons

Question 5

what are some of the current questions around human rights?

Answer 5

• the position of the HRA is unclear following BREXIT
• Conservative manifesto spoke of a British Bill of Rights which would make the supreme court the final court of appeal rather than the ECtHR
• the HRA is not a great safeguard as would only need an act of parliament could revoke or alter it

Question 6

how has the popularity of greater welsh devolution changed?

Answer 6

• Growing popularity of welsh independence (30% in a recent poll)
• this is partly due to COVID demonstrating Wales’ ability to tread a different path to england and has left many people wanting more

Question 7

what is the support like for greater scottish devolution?

Answer 7

• the SNP’s results in scottish parliament elections keeps rising - although still no majority
• growing support for indyref2
• further devolution would enhance the west-lothian problem

Question 8

what are the arguments for further english devolution?

Answer 8

• west lothian question
• England is under funded per head in the Barnett formula compared to the other nations
• Areas of England have strong regional identities, making it clear where regional assemblies would be put

Question 9

arguments against english devolution?

Answer 9

• it arises questions over what the westminster parliament would actually do
• North east has strong identity and rejected assembly overhwelmingly - 78%
• english dont have as strong of a national identity as scots and welsh, and see themselves as ‘british’ and westminster being their parliament