In his first public statement as prime minister, Boris Johnson made two constitutional pledges that stand in tension with one another.On the one hand, he promised to strengthen the UK, which he described as “the awesome foursome that are incarnated in that red, white and blue flag, who together are so much more than the sum of their parts.”But, in the same speech, he … [Read more...] about A new strategy for the Union
A new phase of constitutional conflict?
Last week the UK and Scottish governments squared off at the UK Supreme Court in a case relating to the Scottish Parliament’s EU ‘Continuity’ Bill (the Continuity Bill) and whether or not it is constitutional, in light of the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998.The purpose of the Continuity Bill is to ensure there is continuity in Scottish law after Brexit. It retains EU … [Read more...] about A new phase of constitutional conflict?
May’s unpalatable choice: concede or #indyref2
And lo it came to pass. After nearly two years of wrangling over the impact of Brexit on devolution, the Scottish Parliament has voted by 93 to 30 to withhold “legislative consent” for the EU Withdrawal Bill.The bill amends the powers of the Scottish Parliament and Government and should therefore “not normally” be passed without devolved agreement (under the Sewel … [Read more...] about May’s unpalatable choice: concede or #indyref2
Can Scotland avoid Brexit?
On 23 June, the UK electorate voted by 52-48% to leave the European Union.Membership of the EU is not a devolved matter. The UK is the member state and the UK does not (yet) have a federal system like Australia where constitutional changes must be backed by a majority of voters in a majority of states, as well as of the whole electorate.According to a traditional … [Read more...] about Can Scotland avoid Brexit?