Paul Silk
@paulsilk.bsky.social
Former parliamentary official. Devolution, parliaments, the constitution, rural Wales, Ukraine, amateur theology, and incompetent language-learning
The new Secretary of State said that he wasn't "entirely convinced that Wales needs new powers". Compelling evidence for devolution of policing and justice has been piled up by independent commissions since 2014. I do hope the PM will follow through on his 2022 call for "maximum devolution" to Wales
UK Prime Minister {bot}@10downingstreetbot.bsky.social · 2w agoStephen Kinnock has been appointed as Secretary of State for Wales @walesoffice.
HANFODOL / ESSENTIAL Agweddau yng Nghymru tuag at yr Undeb Ewropeaidd ddegawd ar ôl y refferendwm Attitudes in Wales towards the EU a decade after the Brexit referendum by Jac Larner. Stunning results. Go and have a look. *Now!* blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wal...
From Leave to Rejoin: Welsh Public Opinion Ten Years On
Showcasing current research, comments and analysis on the law, politics, history, culture, government and political economy of Wales from the Wales Governance Centre.
blogs.cardiff.ac.uk
The latest edition of our triannual constitutional review is now available! Monitor 93 examines Keir Starmer's constitutional legacy, Andy Burnham's possible plans, legislation on elections and English devolution, and much more. Read it 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo.... Or browse our thread 👇
The article examines the parliamentary investigation into Farage (and his attempt to short-circuit it). We question Farage’s motives for instigating a by-election and whether the circus is undermining the standards regime. You can read it here: theideaslab.substack.com/p/nigel-fara...
Nigel Farage, the Clacton by-election and parliamentary standards
The Reform UK leader claims he is appealing to the voters over the heads of the Establishment—but he is trying to short-circuit Parliament's standards régime
theideaslab.substack.com
Great explainer from Alice in this thread. The process is not entirely within the control of the resigning MP
Alice Lilly@aliceolilly.bsky.social · 4w agoOn byelections, writs, and timetables. 1. For a by-election to be held, a writ (a document calling for an election to take place in a particular constituency) needs to be sent to the constituency returning officer who will oversee the election.
Having heard Andy Burnham today, I puzzle to think what arguments Whitehall officials can deploy to argue against the devolution of policing and justice to Wales
This is very good news. Such an interesting building and heritage www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Merthyr Tydfil synagogue saved by £3.9m cash boost
Wales' oldest synagogue will be fully restored and transformed into a Jewish Heritage Centre.
bbc.co.uk
Sara Closs-Davies, Dominic de Cogan and Amy Lawton: Devolving Power, Dividing Outcomes – The Social Consequences of UK Fiscal Devolution ukconstitutionallaw.org/2026/06/10/s...
Sara Closs-Davies, Dominic de Cogan and Amy Lawton: Devolving Power, Dividing Outcomes – The Social Consequences of UK Fiscal Devolution
This post is part of a series on ‘Economic Aspects of the Constitution’. The other posts in the series will be available here. Fiscal devolution in the United Kingdom (UK) is often examined through…
ukconstitutionallaw.org
And, of course, he has called for "maximum devolution" to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. If he becomes PM, I do hope he and Wales's First Minister will work to achieve at least what our Commission proposed a decade ago
UCL Constitution Unit@conunitucl.bsky.social · 2mo agoNEW BLOG: What could an Andy Burnham premiership mean for constitutional reform? As Burnham begins his attempt to reach Downing Street via Makerfield, new Unit Deputy Director Tom Fleming discusses how a change of Prime Minister might change the government’s approach to constitutional reform.
🏴 New Blog 🏴 A short piece on how the new Senedd voting system worked! How many votes did it take to win a seat? Was it proportional? Who benefitted? Where did parties win support? And what would it take to win one more seat? If you're interested: blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wal... 🧵👇
All change! The 2026 Senedd Election
Showcasing current research, comments and analysis on the law, politics, history, culture, government and political economy of Wales from the Wales Governance Centre.
blogs.cardiff.ac.uk
For those interested in next week’s #Senedd election, this is an excellent article by @jaclarner.bsky.social on one of the key aspects of the D’Hondt electoral system being used - the extent to which, despite being a PR system, it can reward larger parties at the expense of smaller rivals #senedd26
The D'Hondt Dividend: How Wales's New Electoral System Rewards Large Parties
Using simulations to show how D'Hondt performs in Wales's new six-seat Senedd constituencies and what it means for tactical voting on 7 May.
jaclarner.github.io
Excellent blog from @jessblair.bsky.social
UCL Constitution Unit@conunitucl.bsky.social · 3mo agoNEW BLOG: How will the 2026 Senedd election change Welsh politics? Following our webinar in March, panellist @jessblair.bsky.social explains the changes that have been made to the Senedd and how MSs will be elected, and argues the chosen electoral system of closed lists should be replaced by STV
🚨Today, Wales Fiscal Analysis published our fifth & final manifesto analysis on Senedd powers and reforms to the way that Wales is funded. 🚨Heddiw, cyhoeddodd Dadansoddi Cyllidol Cymru ein dadansoddiad maniffesto olaf ar bwerau newydd a diwygiadau i gyllid Cymru. blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wal...
2026 Senedd Election manifesto analysis: Devolution of more powers and the fiscal framework
Showcasing current research, comments and analysis on the law, politics, history, culture, government and political economy of Wales from the Wales Governance Centre.
blogs.cardiff.ac.uk
Thank God for one US leader who is an inspiration to us all, irrespective of faith www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
Donald Trump launches extraordinary attack on Pope Leo calling him ‘weak’ and ‘terrible’
In unprecedented attack on the leader of the Catholic church, president says the US-born pope is ‘not doing a very good job’ and is ‘a very liberal person’
theguardian.com
How will the 2026 Senedd election change Welsh politics? On 5 March, join @jessblair.bsky.social, @lauramcallister30.bsky.social and @paulsilk.bsky.social to discuss recent and possible future reforms to the Senedd. Sign up for this free, online event 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo....
Very sorry to hear of Jim Wallace's death. Passionate devolutionist and always a delight to deal with. As Douglas Alexander said, a man who gave politics a good name
The Commissions chaired by me in 2014, by Lord Thomas in 2018 and by Laura McAllister and Rowan Williams in 2024 all recommended the devolution of policing to Wales. Police reform should be an opportunity to give Welsh Government policing responsibility. What is the case against?
When I was Clerk of the then National Assembly, we hosted members of the US Congress - from both parties - who had come to thank Wales for its support in the Second Gulf War. The delegation's next stop was Denmark
An interesting post. There is an equal need for a shift away from an executive-led agenda in Cardiff and London
UK Constitutional Law Association@ukcla.bsky.social · 8mo agoStewart Duncan: Reforming Holyrood’s Committees: A Constitutional Perspective ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/11/27/s...
Gareth Evans: The Devolution of the Crown Estate in Wales ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/09/04/g...
Gareth Evans: The Devolution of the Crown Estate in Wales
On 22 July 2025, the Crown Estate (Wales) Bill passed unopposed through report stage in the House of Lords. The Bill, which seeks to devolve the management of the Crown Estate in Wales, was introdu…
ukconstitutionallaw.org
A sad week for @studyofparl.bsky.social with the death of two distinguished members who were also both kind and principled - Sir Roger Sands, former Clerk of the House of Commons and Professor Michael Rush of Exeter University. We will miss them greatly
Nigel Farage yesterday asked Laura Anne Jones if the Senedd works. It would be really interesting to hear Reform's ideas about Senedd reform well in advance of next year's election
New blogpost: The Afghan super-injunction case: Some constitutional implications publiclawforeveryone.com/2025/07/17/t...
The Afghan super-injunction case: Some constitutional implications
Following a catastrophic administrative errors placing the lives of thousands of Afghans at risk, the UK government obtained a super-injunction, enabling it to attempt to clear up the mess it had c…
publiclawforeveryone.com
Great admiration for my wife's (a) fitness (b) commitment to support those who suffer domestic abuse. Please support her. www.justgiving.com/team/calandv...
Kathryn's Three Peaks Challenge to support Calan DVS and the Montgomeryshire Family Crisis Centre
Help Kathryn Silk raise money to support Calan DVS
justgiving.com
This article is well worth reading for the long quotation from the former professor of Mediterranean archaeology at Cardiff on what a university should be
NationCymru@nation.cymru · last yr.The Chair of Cardiff University’s top decision-making body has been accused of seeking to mislead the Senedd in a letter of clarification he wrote to the Chair of a Senedd Committee ✍️Martin Shipton
As a Princeton alumnus, I was very pleased to see this www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2025...
Universities are scared of Trump. Princeton spoke out — and others should join us.
But as Princeton stands up first, it can invite others to stand with it. Through coordinated action and litigation, universities can show that they will never again fight the Trump administration’s at...
dailyprincetonian.com
