UCL Constitution Unit

On 12 May 2026, Professor Meg Russell FBA's time as Director of the UCL Constitution Unit culminated in her delivering a valedictory lecture at the Institute for Government. Professor Jennifer Hudson, Vice Provost (Faculties) at University College London, introduced the lecture, while Dr Hannah White, Director of the Institute for Government, concluded it. Audience questions have been removed from this recording.

Professor Russell had led the Unit since 1 October 2015. She arrived at UCL in 1998, becoming Professor of British and Comparative Politics in 2014 and a Fellow of the British Academy in 2020. She is a leading authority on parliaments comparatively and the UK parliament, including a particular interest in the House of Lords.

Professor Russell will continue to be based at UCL, and from September will drop to a 50% contract, continuing to teach, write and contribute to policy debates. She is succeeded as Director by Professor Alan Renwick, with Dr Tom Fleming serving as Deputy Director.

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

The government has begun the process of reviewing the BBC’s royal charter for its renewal beyond 2027. This process raises fundamental questions about the future of the organisation. How should public service broadcasting be governed in an era of widespread polarisation and distrust? How can any future governance arrangements ensure both independence and accountability? And what role should there be there for the public? We discuss these questions and others with an expert panel.

Speakers:

Professor Dame Diane Coyle – Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge and former Vice Chair of the BBC Trust

Professor Georgina Born – Professor of Anthropology and Music at UCL

Sameer Padania – Fellow at Demos 

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

Useful reading:

Georgina Born and Justin Lewis (eds.) (2025) Public service media: funding and governance options. The British Academy.

Diane Coyle (2024) ‘The Governance of the BBC’, The Political Quarterly, 95(1), pp. 20–24.

Sameer Padania, Hannah Perry, and Polly Curtis (2026) Our BBC: A blueprint for a more independent and future-proofed BBC. Demos.

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

The 2026 Senedd (Welsh Parliament) election may be one of the most significant since the start of devolution. Much attention is rightly being given to the possibility of Plaid Cymru and Reform UK ending Labour’s long dominance of Welsh politics. But this is also the first election since major reforms introduced a new electoral system, new constituencies, shorter electoral terms, and a move from 60 to 96 Senedd members. So what should we expect from the elections? How will these reforms affect the election result, the work of the Senedd, and the wider shape of Welsh politics? And are further reforms needed to safeguard and strengthen Welsh democracy? We discuss these questions with an expert panel.

Speakers:

Jess Blair – Director of Electoral Reform Society Cymru

Professor Laura McAllister – Professor of Public Policy and the Governance of Wales at Cardiff University and former Co-Chair of the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales

Sir Paul Silk – former Clerk to the National Assembly for Wales and Chair of the Commission on Devolution in Wales

Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – 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

The 2024 election delivered an unusually fragmented opposition; almost half the non-government seats in the House of Commons were won by parties other than the Conservative 'Official Opposition'. Given current polling, the next general election is unlikely to see a return to simple 'two-party' politics.

In that context, does the Commons need to change its culture, practices, or procedures to better reflect an era of more fragmented politics? What particular challenges face smaller parties in the Commons? How can they maximise their impact? We discussed these questions with the Green Party's Westminster leader, a former senior Commons official, and an academic expert.

Speakers:

Dr Ellie Chowns MP – Green Party Westminster Leader and MP for North Herefordshire

Paul Evans – former House of Commons clerk

Dr Louise Thompson – Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Manchester

Chair: Professor Meg Russell – 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

The UK awards hundreds of honours each year to mark notable achievements and contributions to society. These awards – such as knighthoods, damehoods, and OBEs – can be a source of pride and a cause of controversy. So how are people chosen for these honours? How does the system work behind the scenes? And could it be improved? Ahead of the New Year Honours, we’ll discuss these questions with an expert panel.

Speakers:

Dame Sue Owen – former member of the Arts and Media, Economy, and Sport Honours Committees and former Permanent Secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sir Peter Riddell – former member of the Parliamentary and Political Service Honours Committee, former Commissioner for Public Appointments, and Honorary Professor at UCL

Dominic Grieve KC – former Attorney General for England and Wales, and Conservative MP for Beaconsfield 1997–2019

Chair: Professor Meg Russell – 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

Please note that, in places, the microphones momentarily failed to record the proceedings at this event. We apologise. 

In the UK, calls for the withdrawal from the European Convention of Human Rights are becoming louder and more persistent. The government has promised to look into the case for reform of the Convention, but at present there are no details about what this would look like. Yet, the discussions about the future of the ECHR are not limited to the UK. Across the Council of Europe many states are considering the case for renegotiation of current obligations under the Convention, particularly in the context of migration. In Denmark, the government is reviewing the practice of its courts and drafting a proposal for a new agreement that would amend the current text of the Convention and allow the government to limit its obligations in relation to particular groups of migrants. How are these developments at European level relevant for the discussion in the UK? 

A panel of expert speakers familiar with the developments in Denmark, UK, and the Council of Europe speak about the pressures that human rights and especially the European Convention find themselves under and what the options are for states seeking a reform of the system. 

Speakers:

Former Judge Robert Spano, Former President of European Court of Human Rights, Partner at Gibson Dunn

Professor Jens Elo Peters Rytter, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Copenhagen

Professor Colm O’Cinneide, Professor of Constitutional and Human Rights Law, UCL

Professor Alice Donald, Professor in Human Rights Law, Middlesex University London

Chair: Professor Veronika Fikfak, Professor of Human Rights and International Law, UCL

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

The UK government published an elections policy paper in the summer, including proposals for votes at 16, automated electoral registration, and strengthened political finance rules. With an Elections Bill expected in November, this panel will assess the government’s proposals and consider whether they will be sufficient to ensure electoral integrity. For example, are tighter rules needed on political donations? Should more be done to protect the independence of the Electoral Commission? Should requirements for truthfulness in political speech be strengthened?

Speakers:

Cat Smith MP – Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre

Rose Whiffen – Senior Research Officer, Transparency International UK

Tom Hawthorn – Head of Policy, Electoral Commission

Professor David Howarth – Professor of Law and Public Policy, University of Cambridge, former UK Electoral Commissioner (2010–18), and former Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge (2005–10)

Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – 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

Many of the highest-profile political issues – including trade, security, and immigration – are now shaped by international treaties and agreements. These agreements are negotiated by ministers and officials, and recent years have seen complaints that the UK’s parliaments lack the scrutiny tools they need. So why does parliamentary scrutiny of international agreements matter? Does the current system allow for adequate scrutiny? And if not, what needs to change?

Speakers:

Lord (Peter) Goldsmith KC – Chair of the House of Lords International Agreements Committee

Arabella Lang – Head of Public Law at the Law Society

Clare Adamson MSP – SNP MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, and Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee.

Chair: Lisa James – Senior Research Fellow, Constitution Unit

Further reading:

• 'Treaty scrutiny in Westminster: addressing the accountability gap' (House of Lords International Agreements Committee, 11 September 2025).

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

The UK government has promised a ‘devolution revolution’ in England, with major changes to the structure of regional and local government, and has published a detailed white paper setting out its plans. How might these changes affect the delivery of public services and quality of local democracy? How will they change the place of local government in the wider constitutional structure? What else might be needed to ensure that ministers achieve their goals? We discussed these questions with an expert panel including two current and former council leaders.

Speakers:

• Bella Sankey – Labour Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council and Deputy Leader of the Local Government Association Labour Group
• Roger Gough – former Conservative Leader of Kent County Council (2019–25)
• Professor Arianna Giovannini – Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Urbino, Italy and former Director of IPPR North.

Chair: Professor Alan Renwick – 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

This summer marks a year since Labour’s landslide victory at the 2024 general election. The party’s manifesto contained a number of pledges for reforming the UK’s constitution and political institutions. So how have those pledges fared since Labour took office? Which promises have been delivered? What unexpected changes have been introduced? And what further reforms will – or should – be on the government’s agenda?

This online conference took stock of constitutional developments in the last year, and looked ahead, with a range of senior speakers including parliamentarians, academics, and commentators.

This closing session brought together a cross-party senior panel to offer reflections on the Labour government’s constitutional agenda, and possible alternative priorities.

Speakers:

• Alex Burghart MP – Conservative MP for Brentwood and Ongar, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
• Sarah Olney MP – Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, and Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Cabinet Office
• Baroness (Dianne) Hayter of Kentish Town – Labour peer, and former Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords

Chair: Professor Meg Russell FBA – 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