Constitutional Priorities for the Next Government: Constitution Unit Conference 2024

Whatever the result of the forthcoming general election, the next government will face a number of important constitutional questions. Labour has committed to reforming the regulation of standards in public life, the House of Lords, and the devolution of power within England. A re-elected Conservative administration, or any kind of coalition, would also have to decide its approach to these and other issues. So how should the next government choose which constitutional questions to prioritise? Which potential reforms are the most urgent or most easily implemented? Which might instead take longer? 

This conference brought together a range of senior speakers, including parliamentarians, academics and commentators, to discuss the constitutional priorities for the next government.

Day 1 – Monday 24 June

1:00pm – 2.15pm Standards in government and parliament

The 2019–24 parliament has been dogged by complaints of low standards of conduct by our politicians. Rishi Sunak has committed to upholding the ideals of ‘integrity, professionalism, and accountability’, while Labour has promised to overhaul how standards are regulated in government and parliament. What are the priorities in this area for a new government to address? Does this require cultural changes, institutional reforms, or both? Which changes or reforms might be most effective? 

YouTube Widget Placeholderhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyO1wJ161M0

• Dominic Grieve KC – Chair of the UK Governance Project, former Attorney General and Conservative MP
• Peter Riddell – former Commissioner for Public Appointments, Director of the Institute for Government and journalist
• Tim Durrant – Programme Director, Institute for Government 

Chair: Professor Meg Russell FBA – Director of the Constitution Unit 

4:15pm – 5:30pm Devolution within England 

The last two decades have seen major changes in the structure of sub-national government within England, with the gradual devolution of powers to a range of new mayors and combined authorities. How should this patchwork of devolution be built upon? Should structures be more consistent across the country? Should further powers be devolved, and – if so – to whom? What steps are required to ensure that this devolved power faces appropriate scrutiny and accountability? 

YouTube Widget Placeholderhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsoWFu657no

• Professor Tony Travers – Director of LSE London and Visiting Professor at the LSE
• Professor Joanie Willett – Associate Professor in Politics and Co-Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies, University of Exeter 
• Akash Paun – Programme Director, Institute for Government 
• Ed Cox – Executive Director for Strategy, Economy and Net Zero at the West Midlands Combined Authority

Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit 

Day 2 – Tuesday 25 June 

10:45am – 12:00pm The rule of law

The role of courts and judges has been controversial in recent years, with criticism of both domestic judges and the European Court of Human Rights. Several government bills have raised difficult questions about the respective roles of government, parliament, and the courts. Has the rule of law been undermined by recent trends in policymaking or political discourse? If so, what should be done to bolster and protect it in the future? 

YouTube Widget Placeholderhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vglnkfq_AWk

• Lord (Jonathan) Sumption – former Justice of the Supreme Court
• Baroness (Shami) Chakrabarti – Labour peer, former Shadow Attorney General, former Director of Liberty, and author of Human Rights: The Case for the Defence 
• Jonathan Jones KC – former Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary of the Government Legal Department 

Chair: Professor Kate O'Regan – Director of the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, University of Oxford, and former judge of the South African Constitutional Court 

1:00pm – 2.15pm House of Lords reform

The composition and role of the House of Lords are subject to frequent question. Since the last major change by a Labour government in 1999, proposals for further reform have ranged from wholesale change – e.g. creating an elected second chamber of the nations and regions – to smaller alterations to change the appointments system or to limit the chamber’s size. To what extent should a new government prioritise House of Lords reform, and what specifically should be the priorities? If the Conservatives lose office, what challenges might be posed by their still being the largest single group in the upper chamber? 

YouTube Widget Placeholderhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRSOezS41xs

• Baroness (Helene) Hayman – Crossbench peer and former Lord Speaker 
• Darren Hughes – Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society 
• Professor Meg Russell FBA – Director of the Constitution Unit 

Chair: Lisa James – Research Fellow at the Constitution Unit 

Please note that the programme for our conference was revised after it was first announced.