Tag Archives: parliamentary practice

Queen’s Consent, Again

Posted on February 8, 2021 by jasonloch

David Pegg and Rob Evans of The Guardian have released another tranche of documents relating to Queen’s Consent. This time, the documents are more interesting than the ones they released yesterday, but Pegg and Evans’ reporting is still flawed. The … Continue reading →

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Some Thoughts On The Guardian’s Latest ‘Royal Exposé’

Posted on February 8, 2021 by jasonloch

The Queen’s Consent is once again in the news. This time it’s because David Pegg and Rob Evans, two reporters with The Guardian, have unearthed documents from 1973 that reveal discussions between Matthew Farrer, the Queen’s private solicitor, and the … 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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Politico Gets Confused About Royal Assent

Posted on September 18, 2019 by jasonloch

In an otherwise decent article about how Brexit has impacted the Crown, Politico Europe reporter Emilio Casalicchio made a strange claim. Referring to Royal Assent, he claimed that “[t]he process once required the monarch’s signature, but it is now a … Continue reading →

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Bercow Fumbles

Posted on March 27, 2019 by jasonloch

As MPs debate Brexit for what seems like the millionth time, Speaker Bercow has reiterated his opposition to a third ‘meaningful vote’ on Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement without substantive changes. Unfortunately, he also indicated that he won’t allow the Government … Continue reading →

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Bercow Nixes Third Vote On May’s Brexit Deal

Posted on March 18, 2019 by jasonloch

Speaker Bercow has just ruled that there can’t be a third vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal unless it is substantially altered. While I’ve questioned Bercow’s handling of Brexit in the past, this ruling is spot on. Erskine May, the … Continue reading →

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First Thoughts On The Brexit Vote

Posted on January 15, 2019 by jasonloch

Theresa May made history today when MPs rejected her Brexit deal by a vote of 202 to 432, making it the worst government defeat in modern British history (previously, that record was held by Ramsay MacDonald’s minority Labour government, which … Continue reading →

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The House Of Lords And Statutory Instruments

Posted on October 23, 2015 by jasonloch

I’ve been asked to explain how the House of Lords can reject the Government’s program of tax credit cuts when it hasn’t been able veto legislation since 1911. The answer lies in the distinction between primary and secondary legislation. The term ‘primary legislation’ … Continue reading →

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Are Tory MPs Getting Thursdays Off?

Posted on December 8, 2014 by jasonloch

The Daily Mail reports that Michael Gove, the Government Chief Whip in the Commons, has downgraded the House’s Thursday sittings to a one-line whip for the remainder of the Parliament. This means they will effectively be optional for Tory MPs until Parliament is dissolved … Continue reading →

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Should Carol Mills Be the Next Clerk of the Commons?

Posted on August 28, 2014 by jasonloch

It looks like Carol Mills, a senior official from the Australian Senate, has been chosen to be the next Clerk of the House of Commons. Mills’ appointment has raised more than a few eyebrows. The Clerk is supposed to act as … Continue reading →

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