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In this riveting episode of the Mark and Pete podcast, we dive into the unexpected and rather soggy announcement from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on 22 May 2024. Standing in the pouring rain, Sunak looked less than prime ministerial as he informed the nation that he had requested permission from King Charles III to dissolve Parliament and call a general election for 4 July.We'll explore the significance of this announcement, made under the grey skies, and what it means for the UK's political landscape. The process, executed in line with the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act of 2022, marks a departure from the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, adding a fresh twist to British politics.Join Mark and Pete as they dissect the events leading up to the announcement, the reactions from political opponents, and the public's response to Sunak's drenched demeanor. Was this a strategic move or a moment of sheer misfortune? Tune in for our take on this rainy day revelation and what it could mean for the future of the UK government.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mark-and-pete--1245374/support.
In this riveting episode of the Mark and Pete podcast, we dive into the unexpected and rather soggy announcement from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on 22 May 2024. Standing in the pouring rain, Sunak looked less than prime ministerial as he informed the nation that he had requested permission from King Charles III to dissolve Parliament and call a general election for 4 July.We'll explore the significance of this announcement, made under the grey skies, and what it means for the UK's political landscape. The process, executed in line with the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act of 2022, marks a departure from the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, adding a fresh twist to British politics.Join Mark and Pete as they dissect the events leading up to the announcement, the reactions from political opponents, and the public's response to Sunak's drenched demeanor. Was this a strategic move or a moment of sheer misfortune? Tune in for our take on this rainy day revelation and what it could mean for the future of the UK government.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mark-and-pete--1245374/support.
This is a recording of a panel session from our conference looking at the government's constitutional reform agenda. The focus of the discussion was the government's review of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act and it's repeal bill: the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Bill. Speakers:Lord McLoughlin, Chair of Parliamentary Joint Committee on Review of the FTPAChris Bryant MP, member of Joint Committee on Review of FTPAProf Petra Schleiter, OxfordProf Alison Young, Cambridge.Chair: Prof Meg Russell FBA, Director of the Constitution Unit, UCL.The two-day conference was jointly organised with the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Oxford University and UK in a Changing Europe. This episode was recorded on 17 June 2021. Suggested reading: Can Boris Johnson simply repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act?, by Robert Hazell on the Constitution Unit blog, published 5 February 2021.FTPA Joint Committee lays down marker for the future, by Robert Hazell and Meg Russell on the Constitution Unit blog, published 12 April 2021.Joint evidence submission by Robert Hazell and Meg Russell to the Joint Committee on the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act.The Draft Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (Repeal) Bill: Turning Back the Clock?, by Alison Young on the UKCLA blog, published 4 December 2020.Repealing the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, by Mark Elliott in the Public Law for Everyone blog, published 2 December 2020.
The government has announced its intention to repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act (FTPA), the controversial piece of legislation that limited the prime minister’s power to seek an early election. But what would it mean if this power is returned to the prime minister? Can a prerogative power be restored? And what would be lost if the FTPA no longer existed? Our panel included: Matthew Hanney, partner at Flint Global and former special adviser at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Professor Meg Russell, director of the Constitution Unit Mark Harper MP, former chief whip and former minister for political and constitutional reform Raphael Hogarth, associate at the Institute for Government This event was chaired by Dr Catherine Haddon, senior fellow at the Institute for Government. There was an opportunity for questions from the audience.
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox joins Christopher Hope to discuss what a Tory majority means for Brexit and why the Government should abolish of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, plus he lends us his velvety tones for a very special Christmas reading.Also on the podcast: new LibDem MP Daisy Cooper addresses speculation she could run as party leader and former Brexit minister David Jones tells us whether Brexiteers can relax about the prospect of further extensions to Article 50. And they both reveal their New Year's resolutions.Get 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co/uk/chopper |Read why film critic, Tim Robey awards Cats his first ever zero stars review: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/cats-review-sinister-all-time-disaster-no-one-emerges-unscathed/ |Email: choppersbrexitpodcast@telegraph.co.ukTwitter: @brexitbroadcast
Page 48 of the Conservative manifesto proposed constitutional reforms that included looking at the relationship between the government, Parliament and the courts, the functioning of the Royal Prerogative and repealing the Fixed-term Parliaments Act. What will this constitutional review involve and what might its consequences be? Our panel included: Douglas Carswell, MP for Clacton from 2005 to 2017 and co-founder of Vote Leave. He has recently started the Good Governance Project. Hilary Benn, Chair of the Exiting the EU Committee and former Shadow Leader of the House from 2010-2011. Chris White, managing director of Newington Communications and former Special Adviser to Patrick McLoughlin, Andrew Lansley and William Hague. Catherine Haddon, senior fellow at the Institute for Government. The event was chaired by Hannah White, deputy director at the Institute for Government. There was an opportunity for questions from the audience.
With British politics in disarray, we try to sort out what's a stake - legally, constitutionally and electorally. Can Johnson refuse to do what parliament demands? Can Corbyn get the election he wants? What is Dominic Cummings playing at? And how much is the Fixed-term Parliaments Act to blame for the mess? Plus we explore the likely choices ahead for voters and politicians and we ask the big question lying behind all the drama: is this a question of politics or is it a matter of law? With Helen Thompson and Kenneth Armstrong.Talking Points:What was Johnson trying to achieve with prorogation? Deliberately provoking the opposition? Making it look like Parliament had been defeated to push the EU to work toward another agreement? A lot is going wrong for the government right now and it is struggling get to the general election it wants to fight.Helen thinks that the actual goal is an orderly exit from the EU.But people don’t believe Johnson when he says he is serious about getting a deal.Corbyn says that the opposition wants a general election, but only after no deal has been ruled out.But if the election takes place in mid-October and Johnson wins a majority, he could overturn any legislation outlawing a no deal.Parliament could still revoke Article 50. This might be the best case scenario for Johnson because he could then have a Parliament vs. the people election.The assumption seems to be that the government cannot be replaced, but it also can’t do what it wants to do.Everyone seems to be trying to tie someone’s hands, but how do you create the politics where you can actually do things?At some point there will be a general election: the government is framing it as a choice on Brexit. May tried to do that in 2017 and failed. But Johnson isn’t May, and he’s running on a more populist, anti-austerity platform.What does Labour want to fight this election on? Would they fare better in a Brexit or non-Brexit election?The Lib Dems are in a very different position this time.This is an unusual government: the stories about Dominic Cummings are damaging, but it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere.A referendum is very different than a general election. Mentioned in this episode:Catherine Haddon on the Fixed Term Parliaments ActStephen Sedley on Jonathan Sumption and the rule of law for the LRBFurther Learning: Scottish Court rules that prorogation is lawfulOn challenges around a bill to prevent no dealDavid and Helen talking about prorogation on the 538 podcastAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
We try to draw some wider lessons from the nightmare that the Brexit process has now become. What have we learned about the relationship between parliament and the executive? Is there any way that the Article 50 process could have worked? And what conclusions will other countries reach about how hard it is to leave the EU? Plus we talk about the recent report from the Hansard Society indicating that the British public is more open than ever to the idea of a 'strong leader'. With Helen Thompson and Kenneth Armstrong.Talking Points:The Cooper Act has been rushed through both houses—but has it really changed anything?Very little in this act actually constrains the government.No deal isn’t off the table.Even if it didn’t change much in substantive terms, in constitutional terms, Parliament may have set something in motion.The relationship between the executive and the legislature is under fire in a lot of places.Executive power tends to be more unrestrained on the international stage.Treaties take important issues out of the realm of national politics. Legislatures only get to say yes or no.The EU raises a lot of these issues because it is a treaty-based union.By all objective measures the May government should be on its last legs right now.But the Fixed-term Parliaments Act means there’s no real mechanism for getting rid of the government.Could the May government just stagger on?A lot of MP’s don’t want a general election.Even if the Labour leadership does, the parliamentary Labour party doesn’t.At every turn, Parliament seems to be trying to escape responsibility for its own actions.What is the lesson others should take from all of this?Is the problem Ireland?Or is the problem the UK parliamentary system, and coalition governance?... Or is it just really hard to leave the EU?A new report from the Hansard Society shows that a lot of people in Britain seem to have a taste for authoritarianism.What people really want is a politician who can cut through politics.There may be a substitution effect between process and personality. When process breaks down, people want a charismatic leader.Mentioned in this Episode:About that Hansard Society reportThe FT on Macron’s De Gaulle MomentFurther Learning:Kenneth’s Brexit Time blogMay rolls the diceOn the Fixed-term Parliaments Act See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The 2017 election campaign stepped up a gear this week as Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats all published their election manifestos. We saw the Lib Dems promising to legalise cannabis and hold a referendum on the final Brexit deal. Labour made some generous offerings for everyone except the very richest among us. As we discussed in last week’s episode, we already knew a lot about Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto because someone leaked it to the press in advance. But the final document confirmed such plans as raising income tax for the top 5% of earners to fund greater spending on the NHS, reversing a great many of the Conservative’s welfare reforms, and re-nationalising the railways. The Conservatives were the last of the three to publish – and took rather a different approach. Their manifesto was more focused on the philosophy of the party under the leadership of Theresa May than about making promises to woo voters. We were told the country faces “giant” challenges and that the collective good must come before the individual to tackle those problems. That means richer pensioners will lose their fuel allowance and may have to contribute more to the costs of their care. These documents are very important. They set out what each party is proposing to achieve if you vote it into government. This week, we’re delving into their pages to understand what’s on offer. Andrew Scott Crines from the University of Liverpool and Ben Williams from the University of Salford talk to The Converesation’s politics editor Laura Hood about what we’ve learned about current Conservative ideology, whether Labour’s pledges are enough to save it from the jaws of defeat and what the point is of producing a manifesto if you, like the Liberal Democrats, openly admit you aren’t going to win. We’re also looking at what the immediate implications are for the Conservative pledge to repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, which means that general elections are only held every five years. With that law out of the way, could we be heading for yet another vote before too long? Music in Election Weekly is Chasin’ It, by Jason Shaw. A big thank you to City University London’s Department of Journalism for letting us use their studios. Ben Williams is a member of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), the Higher Education Academy and the Labour Party. Andrew Scott Crines does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Prof. John Curtice discusses the implications of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act. Is it merely a technical detail of little consequence - or does it represent a quiet constitutional revolution? The Fixed-term Parliaments Act is one of the very few constitutional changes included in the coalition's Programme for Government that has managed to see the light of day. Yet it is little discussed and its potential effects seemingly inadequately understood. This lecture discusses its apparent effects on UK politics to date and its potential effects in future, focusing in particular on its implications for Prime Ministerial power, government formation, and the parliamentary and devolved electoral cycles. This was the keynote lecture of a one day workshop on “The Fixed-term Parliaments Act”, co-sponsored by the Department of Politics and International Relations and the Constitutional Studies Programme.