How to Save Britain’s Parliamentary Democracy
| Published date | 01 March 2024 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/20419058241238189 |
| Author | Nick Harvey,Paul Tyler |
| Date | 01 March 2024 |
22POLITICAL INSIGHT•MARCH 2024
As long ago as 1976, Lord
Hailsham warned that British
democracy was sliding into
what he called ‘elective
dictatorship’. In the almost 50 years since his
memorable BBC
Dimbleby Lecture
, things
have got progressively worse. The ‘strong’
governments of Margaret Thatcher and
Tony Blair quietly tightened the grip that
government exercises over Parliament, to
the detriment of democracy.
By the time the Conservative Party fell
How to Save Britain’s
Parliamentary
Democracy
With public trust in British democracy at an all time low, former
MPs Nick Harvey and Paul Tyler examine the state of ‘the mother
of democracies’ and offer suggestions for how it could be restored
to health.
into Boris Johnson’s hands following his
2019 election, the conditions were ripe
for a further weakening of the tenets of
Parliamentary democracy. Barely weeks into
oce, Johnson raised eyebrows through
his unprecedented attempt to ‘prorogue’
Parliament in order to stave o defeat on
key Brexit votes. The Prime Minister later
refused to accept the ndings of his own
standards adviser about members of his
Cabinet bullying civil servants – leaving the
Ministerial Code shattered.
© Hannah McKay / Alamy Stock Photo
Political Insight March 2024.indd 22Political Insight March 2024.indd 2219/02/2024 09:3119/02/2024 09:31
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeStart Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting