The PSA Parliaments Annual Conference will take place at the University of Manchester on Monday 2 November 2026. Paper presentations will feature research on a wide range of parliaments. This is an…

In 2021 the UK House of Commons rescinded its short-lived ‘English Votes for English Laws’ (EVEL) procedures, which had delivered differentiated voting rights to MPs to compensate for asymmetric te...

Abstract. Harassment politicians face has direct consequences on their working reality, yet the indirect spillover effects on those who witness it remain u

When it published its report in 2022, one of the main recommendations of the Brown Commission, established by the Labour Party to examine the future governance of the UK, was for the replacement of t....

A new Constitution Unit report, Safeguarding the Constitution: Key Steps to Strengthen UK Democratic Resilience, by Lisa James, Meg Russell and Alan Renwick, focuses on protecting the constitution.

The House of Commons' proposal to abolish its regional parliamentary outreach service marks a significant retreat from two decades of leadership in public engagement. Replacing face-to-face community ...

On 16 July 2026, Lord Forsyth of Drumlean delivered his first major public speech since being elected Lord Speaker. At an event hosted by the Hansard Society, Lord Forsyth said that anyone advocating…

Urgent Questions have grown substantially since 2010 and are now a routine feature of House of Commons business. In this blog, Ruxandra Serban analyses the scale of that growth, which departments face...

An expert panel drew on lessons from the recent assisted dying bill and other PMBs to consider how backbench MPs should approach complex issues.

The Constitution Unit has today published Reforming the Commons: The backbench MP's guide to achieving procedural change by Hannah Kelly, Lisa James and Meg Russell.

A new Unit report assesses how procedural change comes about, analysing successful past campaigns to identify lessons for would-be reformers. In this post the report’s authors discuss some key conclusions.

The Constitution Unit is welcoming applicants to the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme for September 2027 entry, with an internal deadline of 25 May 2026.

There are said to be around 200 MPs who are willing to reintroduce it as a private member’s bill.

In 1994, at the request of the International Political Science Association (IPSA), I organised a Workshop of Parliamentary Scholars and Parliamentarians.  It was designed to enable academics to pre…

The Constitution Unit is welcoming applicants to the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme for September 2027 entry, with an internal deadline of 25 May 2026.

In May, Alan Renwick will succeed Meg Russell as Director of the Constitution Unit. Tom Fleming will become Deputy Director. A new lecturer is also set to join the Unit next year.

Fifteen years after its creation, the Backbench Business Committee has become an important mechanism through which MPs can secure debates and raise issues in the House of Commons. Drawing on new resea...

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Officers: President: Professor The Lord Norton of Louth, Professor of Government and Director of the Centre for Legislative Studies, University of Hull Chair: Professor Emma Crewe, School of O…

Conference Menu SPG Annual Weekend HomepageHow to make the most of the conference virtually On this page you can find more information about our annual weekend, including a PDF version of the confe…