5 07, 2023

VIDEO: Can England Save the UK?

By |2023-07-05T15:08:23+00:00July 5th, 2023|Categories: Devolution, Federalism, UK Constitution, Video|Tags: , , , , |

In this Federal Trust video John Denham, Glyndwr Jones and Brendan Donnelly discuss the need for constitutional reform to preserve the UK. They conclude that reform is particularly needed in England, both to improve the governance of England itself and to distinguish between English and British political identities. Confusion between [...]

7 06, 2023

VIDEO: Can Federalism Save the United Kingdom?

By |2023-06-07T14:36:35+00:00June 7th, 2023|Categories: Devolution, Federalism, Scotland, UK Constitution, Video|Tags: , , , |

In this  video, former member of the Welsh Senedd David Melding discusses with Brendan Donnelly the advantages of a federal structure for the United Kingdom. Devolution was an honourable attempt to reform the governance of the United Kingdom. It has not however led to greater constitutional stability. Federal structures for [...]

7 06, 2023

Federalism, Union and Secession

By |2023-06-07T14:07:50+00:00June 7th, 2023|Categories: Devolution, Federalism, Scotland, UK Constitution, Views from the Federal Trust|Tags: , , , , , , |

In this new essay for the Federal Trust, our Council member and former member of the Welsh Senedd David Melding argues that federal structures are the best way of preserving the constitutional and geographical integrity of the United Kingdom. In a federal UK, powers and responsibilities would be transparently and [...]

4 05, 2023

EVENT: Federalism – in Germany, UK and the European Union

By |2023-05-15T14:15:23+00:00May 4th, 2023|Categories: 2023, Brexit, Europe, Federalism|

10th May 2023 Hybrid Event, jointly held by the Federal Trust and Federal Union Brendan Donnelly and Dirk Hazell discussed the advantages of a federal Britain in a federal Europe, followed by a lively discussion with the audience. WATCH THE RECORDED LIVESTREAM HERE Or in the player below: SPEAKERS: Brendan [...]

13 02, 2023

The emergence of the EU as a Democratic Regional Polity

By |2023-02-13T15:28:51+00:00February 13th, 2023|Categories: Citizens’ rights, EU Policies & Institutions, Federalism, Future of Europe, Views from the Federal Trust|Tags: , , , , |

Democratic backsliding has become such a defining trend in global politics over the past decades that the democratisation of the European Union has gone largely unnoticed.[1] After the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009, however, the EU has been advancing its transition from a [...]

18 01, 2023

WEBINAR: Regionalising Democracy in the UK

By |2023-01-31T18:16:27+00:00January 18th, 2023|Categories: 2023, Devolution, Federalism, Scotland, UK Constitution|

An Elected Upper Chamber of the Devolved Nations and English Regions 30th January 2023 WATCH THE RECORDING HERE Or in the player below Britain's sufferance of an unelected House of Lords has expired. Reforms have been promised since 1911, but now Sir Keir Starmer has declared an incoming Labour government, [...]

22 11, 2022

Regionalizing Democracy in the United Kingdom – The Case for an Upper House of the Nations and Regions

By |2022-11-22T14:01:10+00:00November 22nd, 2022|Categories: Blog, Federalism, UK Constitution, Views from the Federal Trust|Tags: , , , , , |

Dr Andrew Black, Global Policy Institute, [email protected] and   Professor Sam Whimster, Global Policy Institute, [email protected]     Rationale for change and reform: Britain is one of the most centralized democracies in the OECD. Resource allocation decisions are centralized in London, and instructions are handed down ‘vertically’ to the devolved nations and [...]

18 11, 2022

Why can’t the Brits Do Federalism?

By |2022-11-18T11:04:21+00:00November 18th, 2022|Categories: Devolution, Federalism, Scotland, UK Constitution, Views from the Federal Trust|Tags: , , , , |

It is fair to say that federalism makes most UK unionists uncomfortable when it is considered at all. It is seen as foreign and alien to the principle of absolute parliamentary sovereignty located in Westminster. In the 1970s the Kilbrandon Commission notoriously dismissed federalism as a constitutional structure for states not [...]

18 11, 2022

Constitutional Collaboration

By |2022-11-18T11:47:52+00:00November 18th, 2022|Categories: Devolution, Federalism, Scotland, UK Constitution, Views from the Federal Trust|Tags: , , , |

On 29th October 2022, I took part in the Federal Trust’s conference on the future of the United Kingdom. Though the day had a focus on federalism my preferred model leans towards a form of close constitutional confederalism, which neatly deals with the sovereignty aspirations of the home nations in [...]

25 10, 2022

Building collective, not separate, constitutional visions

By |2022-10-25T14:49:53+00:00October 25th, 2022|Categories: Devolution, Federalism, Scotland, UK Constitution, Views from the Federal Trust|Tags: , , , , , |

Even with the introduction of devolution in Scotland and Wales at the end of the 20th Century, there is a sense that these isles are now approaching a significant constitutional crossroads. Each nation has, in recent decades, developed an individual political culture with clear distinguishing features from the workings of [...]

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