Category Archives: British Parliament

Thoughts On The Judge Amendment

Posted on February 10, 2022 by jasonloch

Yesterday, the House of Lords made a major change to the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill. Lord Judge successfully moved an amendment that would give the House of Commons a veto over the dissolution of Parliament. I’ve discussed the … Continue reading →

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No, The Lord Chancellor And The Lord President Can’t Vote In The House Of Lords

Posted on October 10, 2021 by jasonloch

An article in the Daily Telegraph has claimed that the Lord Chancellor and the Lord President of the Council have “archaic rights” to vote in the House of Lords even though they aren’t peers (the article is behind a paywall, … Continue reading →

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Lords Clerks Go Wigless

Posted on September 24, 2021 by jasonloch

Earlier this week it was revealed that the clerks in the House of Lords will no longer wear their traditional uniform on a day-to-day basis. Gone are the horsehair wigs, court jackets, and white bowties; the gown will remain, but … Continue reading →

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A Brief History Of Royal Assent By Commission

Posted on April 29, 2021 by jasonloch

Today Lords Commissioners gave Royal Assent to legislation before proroguing Parliament. Traditionally, the Monarch signified their Assent in the presence of Parliament, but the statute 33 Henry 8 c. 21 allowed Henry VIII to grant Assent without visiting Parliament. Although … Continue reading →

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One Person, Many Votes: Plural Voting In The UK

Posted on January 31, 2021 by jasonloch

Although the concept of ‘one person, one vote’ seems axiomatic these days, that hasn’t always been the case. In the UK, plural voting was a legitimate practice for many centuries.    The right to vote in the UK was traditionally … Continue reading →

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What Can Be Done About The Size Of The House of Lords?

Posted on December 29, 2020 by jasonloch

The Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, has come under some fire for expressing concern over Boris Johnson’s decision to appoint a new batch of 16 peers. While some have questioned the propriety of his intervention, he was right to raise the … Continue reading →

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Is This The End Of The Road For The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011?

Posted on November 25, 2019 by jasonloch

Regular readers of my blog will know that I’m not a fan of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. I think it was a cynical ploy to stabilize David Cameron’s coalition government, and it has done far more harm than good. … Continue reading →

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A New Tradition? The Lord Chancellor And Royal Approbation Of The Speaker

Posted on November 4, 2019 by jasonloch

Today, the House of Commons chose Sir Lindsay Hoyle as their Speaker following John Bercow’s resignation. As is customary, Sir Lindsay’s election had to be confirmed by the Queen before he could formally take the Chair. Like prorogation and royal … Continue reading →

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What Happened With The Brexit Bill?

Posted on October 22, 2019 by jasonloch

Today was another day of high political drama in the House of Commons. Although MPs voted to give the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill a second reading, they failed to pass the programme motion necessary to progress the bill. But … Continue reading →

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The Future Of Prorogation

Posted on September 23, 2019 by jasonloch

With all the controversy surrounding Boris Johnson’s extended prorogation, I’ve been asked if I think the practice of proroguing Parliament is likely to be abolished in the not-too-distant future. However, outright abolition seems unlikely. Until now, prorogation has been a … Continue reading →

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