UCL Constitution Unit

Andy Burnham has announced the creation of a national commission on electoral reform, and said that he wants Labour’s next manifesto to include a commitment to changing the system. We can expect much debate over the coming months about whether reform is wise and, if so, what the best alternative would be.
So what are the options, and how should they be evaluated? What are the issues that matter when choosing an electoral system, and what evidence do we have on them?
This event will include leading proponents of First Past the Post and of Proportional Representation. It won’t just be a normal back-and-forth debate. As the Constitution Unit launches a new project examining what we know about the effects of different electoral systems, we will seek to dig into what the key points of agreement and disagreement are, and where we need more evidence to get clear answers.
Speakers:
Sir Robert Buckland – Former Conservative MP for Swindon South; Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, 2019–21
Jess Garland – Director of Research and Policy, Electoral Reform Society
Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – Director of the Constitution Unit

Links:
Website: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/social-historical-sciences/constitution-unit
Mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/ucl/constitution-unit
Blog: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Recent years have seen widespread concern about the erosion of democratic norms and institutions around the world. This webinar will explore the latest evidence about the health of democracy in 2026. Have global levels of democracy declined? If so, how widespread or severe is that decline? How satisfied are citizens with the way democracy works? Do disillusioned citizens want less democracy or just a different kind of democracy? And have any countries succeeded in stemming or reversing democratic ‘backsliding’? We’ll discuss these questions with three leading experts.
Speakers
Professor Claudia Landwehr – Professor of Political Theory and Public Policy at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Dr Seema Shah – Head of Democracy Assessment at International IDEA
Professor Jan Teorell – Professor of Political Science at Stockholm University and co-leader of the ‘Varieties of Democracy’ project
Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – Director of the Constitution Unit

Links:
Website: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/social-historical-sciences/constitution-unit
Mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/ucl/constitution-unit
Blog: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Andy Burnham’s campaign to return to Westminster has pushed reform of the UK’s constitution up the political agenda. This expert panel steps back from the fast-moving political fallout of the Makerfield by-election to ask what comes next for constitutional reform. What do we know so far about Burnham’s agenda in this area? What does past experience tell us about the practical challenges for delivering such an agenda? And – ahead of a forthcoming Constitution Unit report – what broader constitutional issues deserve renewed attention from any new or continuing Prime Minister? 

Speakers: Frances Foley – Our Common Home, formerly Deputy Director of Compass

Dr Catherine Haddon – Senior Fellow, Institute for Government

Lisa James – Senior Research Fellow, UCL Constitution Unit 

Chair: Dr Tom Fleming – Deputy Director of the Constitution Unit

Links:
Website: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/social-historical-sciences/constitution-unit
Mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/ucl/constitution-unit
Blog: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Six prime ministers, a Brexit referendum, and an (unlawful) prorogation of parliament — it has been an extraordinary decade to lead the UCL Constitution Unit. Meg Russell steps back from that role and joins host Emily McTernan to reflect on a career spanning nearly three decades, from advising Robin Cook as Leader of the House of Commons to shaping parliamentary reform from the outside. Along the way, they discuss what this turbulent period reveals about the fragility of British democracy, the erosion of constitutional norms, and who is ultimately responsible for protecting our political system.

Mentioned in this episode:

Meg Russell's valedictory lecture

Links:
Website: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/social-historical-sciences/constitution-unit
Mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/ucl/constitution-unit
Blog: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Parliament is currently considering the Representation of the People Bill. As well as lowering the voting age for UK elections to 16, this legislation contains a host of changes in other areas, including voter registration, voter ID, political finance, and the role of the Electoral Commission. Will these changes be sufficient to deliver fair, safe, and secure elections? If not, what more needs to be done? And does safeguarding our elections require changes of culture and behaviour, as well as new legislation? 

Speakers:

Phoebe Arnold – Policy Lead at Full Fact

John Pullinger – Chair of the Electoral Commission

Philip Rycroft – former senior civil servant, and author of the 2026 review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics

Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – Director of the Constitution Unit

Links:
Website: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/social-historical-sciences/constitution-unit
Mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/ucl/constitution-unit
Blog: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit