@ConUnit_UCL

The UK's leading research centre on constitutional change. This account is rarely used. Follow us on Bluesky 👇

 London, UK
bsky.app/profile/conunitucl.bsky.social
Joined December 2010
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  • Following968
  • Followers16.6K
2.2KMedia
From today, we will no longer post regularly on Twitter/X. There are multiple ways to keep up with our work, including by signing up to our mailing list 👉 ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/…. Or follow our lively account on Bluesky and encourage others to do so 👉 bsky.app/profile/conunitucl.….
A screenshot of our Bluesky page.

ALT A screenshot of our Bluesky page.

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ON THE BLOG: Should we be worried about the decline of parliamentary scrutiny? Ahead of a related Constitution Unit event next week, Meg Russell summarises her recent article in Public Law which crunches the numbers on parliamentary scrutiny over time. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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Our founder and former Director, Robert Hazell, is in @thetimes today addressing the US Vice President's speech last week. He calls the critique of democracy and speech 'breathtaking in its hypocrisy'. Read his letter 👉 thetimes.com/comment/letters….
Freedom index Sir, JD Vance’s critique of democracy in Europe in his speech to the Munich Security Conference was breathtaking in its hypocrisy (letters, Feb 17). Long-running surveys of freedom and democracy around the world put the US well below European countries. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2023 ranked the US at No 29, with 18 European countries above it. Freedom House, based in Washington and primarily funded by the US government, has conducted its annual survey of Freedom in the World for more than 50 years. Its 2024 survey gives the US a score of 83 out of 100 for the quality of its political rights, civil liberties and fairness of elections. By comparison, of the countries criticised by Vance, the UK scored 91, Germany 93 and Sweden 99. Robert Hazell Professor of government and the constitution, UCL

ALT Freedom index Sir, JD Vance’s critique of democracy in Europe in his speech to the Munich Security Conference was breathtaking in its hypocrisy (letters, Feb 17). Long-running surveys of freedom and democracy around the world put the US well below European countries. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2023 ranked the US at No 29, with 18 European countries above it. Freedom House, based in Washington and primarily funded by the US government, has conducted its annual survey of Freedom in the World for more than 50 years. Its 2024 survey gives the US a score of 83 out of 100 for the quality of its political rights, civil liberties and fairness of elections. By comparison, of the countries criticised by Vance, the UK scored 91, Germany 93 and Sweden 99. Robert Hazell Professor of government and the constitution, UCL

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UCL Constitution Unit retweeted
Henry Midgley@H80Midgley17 Feb 2025
Great piece by Meg Russell on the decline of scrutiny- I think the one thing that's missing is the opacity of a lot of government to Parliament but I think the article as a whole is fantastic and i'm off to find the public law article its based on!
UCL Constitution Unit@ConUnit_UCL17 Feb 2025
NEW BLOG: Should we be worried about the decline of parliamentary scrutiny? Ahead of a related Constitution Unit event next week, Meg Russell summarises her recent article in Public Law which crunches the numbers on parliamentary scrutiny over time. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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Join Meg Russell, David Natzler and @DanielGover to discuss the problems, and potential solutions, with the legislative process. This event will include a Q&A and you can submit a question by replying to this post. Sign up for this free, online event 👉 ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/….
The Constitution Unit. Improving parliamentary scrutiny of legislation. 24 February 2025, 1:00pm–2:15pm. Prof Meg Russell (Director of the Constitution Unit). Sir David Natzler (Former Clerk of the House of Commons). Dr Daniel Gover (Senior Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London). Chair: Lisa James (Senior Research Fellow at the Constitution Unit).

ALT The Constitution Unit. Improving parliamentary scrutiny of legislation. 24 February 2025, 1:00pm–2:15pm. Prof Meg Russell (Director of the Constitution Unit). Sir David Natzler (Former Clerk of the House of Commons). Dr Daniel Gover (Senior Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London). Chair: Lisa James (Senior Research Fellow at the Constitution Unit).

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ON THE BLOG: Should we be worried about the decline of parliamentary scrutiny? Ahead of a related Constitution Unit event next week, Meg Russell summarises her recent article in Public Law which crunches the numbers on parliamentary scrutiny over time. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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NEW BLOG: Should we be worried about the decline of parliamentary scrutiny? Ahead of a related Constitution Unit event next week, Meg Russell summarises her recent article in Public Law which crunches the numbers on parliamentary scrutiny over time. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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ON THE BLOG: Local citizens‘ assemblies: why do councils set them up and what can they do? Patricia Preller and @alanjrenwick discuss what we know about the over 40 local citizens' assemblies convened in the UK since 2019. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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ON THE BLOG: Local citizens‘ assemblies: why do councils set them up and what can they do? Patricia Preller and @alanjrenwick discuss what we know about the over 40 local citizens' assemblies convened in the UK since 2019. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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BLOGPOST: How and when should someone give up public office? @_peterriddell argues that although it is rightly difficult to remove some public servants, it is also incumbent on them to know in what circumstances they should resign. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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UCL Constitution Unit retweeted
UKCLA@ukcla13 Feb 2025
Ben Yong: What—and Who—is Parliament? ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025…

Ben Yong: What—and Who—is Parliament?

The Palace of Westminster is a symbol of British democracy, and it is falling apart. It is a serious danger to those who work within it: a recent news report suggested the Palace could be the next …

ukconstitutionallaw.org
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ON THE BLOG: Local citizens‘ assemblies: why do councils set them up and what can they do? Patricia Preller and @alanjrenwick discuss what we know about the over 40 local citizens' assemblies convened in the UK since 2019. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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ON THE BLOG: Local citizens‘ assemblies: why do councils set them up and what can they do? Patricia Preller and @alanjrenwick discuss what we know about the over 40 local citizens' assemblies convened in the UK since 2019. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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BLOGPOST: How and when should someone give up public office? @_peterriddell argues that although it is rightly difficult to remove some public servants, it is also incumbent on them to know in what circumstances they should resign. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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Join Meg Russell, David Natzler and @DanielGover to discuss the problems, and potential solutions, with the legislative process. This event will include a Q&A and you can submit a question by replying to this post. Sign up for this free, online event 👉 ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/….
The Constitution Unit. Improving parliamentary scrutiny of legislation. 24 February 2025, 1:00pm–2:15pm. Prof Meg Russell (Director of the Constitution Unit). Sir David Natzler (Former Clerk of the House of Commons). Dr Daniel Gover (Senior Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London). Chair: Lisa James (Senior Research Fellow at the Constitution Unit).

ALT The Constitution Unit. Improving parliamentary scrutiny of legislation. 24 February 2025, 1:00pm–2:15pm. Prof Meg Russell (Director of the Constitution Unit). Sir David Natzler (Former Clerk of the House of Commons). Dr Daniel Gover (Senior Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London). Chair: Lisa James (Senior Research Fellow at the Constitution Unit).

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BLOGPOST: How and when should someone give up public office? @_peterriddell argues that although it is rightly difficult to remove some public servants, it is also incumbent on them to know in what circumstances they should resign. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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ON THE BLOG: Local citizens‘ assemblies: why do councils set them up and what can they do? Patricia Preller and @alanjrenwick discuss what we know about the over 40 local citizens' assemblies convened in the UK since 2019. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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NEW BLOG: Local citizens‘ assemblies: why do councils set them up and what can they do? Patricia Preller and @alanjrenwick discuss what we know about the over 40 local citizens' assemblies convened in the UK since 2019. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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What problems are there with the legislative process? Have they got worse? And what can be done to fix them? Join Meg Russell, David Natzler and @DanielGover to discuss just this on 24 February. Sign up for this free, online event 👉 ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/….
The Constitution Unit. Improving parliamentary scrutiny of legislation. 24 February 2025, 1:00pm–2:15pm. Prof Meg Russell (Director of the Constitution Unit). Sir David Natzler (Former Clerk of the House of Commons). Dr Daniel Gover (Senior Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London). Chair: Lisa James (Senior Research Fellow at the Constitution Unit).

ALT The Constitution Unit. Improving parliamentary scrutiny of legislation. 24 February 2025, 1:00pm–2:15pm. Prof Meg Russell (Director of the Constitution Unit). Sir David Natzler (Former Clerk of the House of Commons). Dr Daniel Gover (Senior Lecturer in British Politics at Queen Mary University of London). Chair: Lisa James (Senior Research Fellow at the Constitution Unit).

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BLOGPOST: How and when should someone give up public office? @_peterriddell argues that although it is rightly difficult to remove some public servants, it is also incumbent on them to know in what circumstances they should resign. constitution-unit.com/2025/0…
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