Hi, I'm being made redundant by the University of Southampton at the end of this month. I'm desperately looking for work. I'll consider all offers but have particular skills in policy, strategy and research. I also have a consultancy service I offer. Please let me know if you hear of anything

On this day in 1890, Barbara Armstrong was born. In 1919, she became the 1st female law professor at Berkeley. The school didn’t hire another female professor until 1960. Armstrong was a key advocate pushing for the 1935 Social Security Act, minimum wage laws & universal health insurance. #WeTheMen

EXC: Peter Murrell sentencing filming bid was rejected by top judge over meme fears.

Peter Murrell sentencing filming bid rejected by top judge over meme fears

EXCLUSIVE: Files released under freedom of information legislation reveal the internal discussions in the judiciary.

dailyrecord.co.uk

I wonder if they asked Guernsey (84 candidates) for advice ... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Clacton by-election ballot list costing four times more

The list of 34 candidates standing in the Clacton by-election is nearly a metre long.

bbc.co.uk

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. The treaty's legacy is not only its history, but its continuing capacity to guide principled and practical responses to displacement now and into the future. See our special resource hub: www.unsw.edu.au/kaldor-centr...

The Refugee Convention at 75

Seventy-five years ago, governments agreed on a shared framework to protect people forced to flee. Today, the Refugee Convention continues to shape decisions every day – at borders, in courts and in o...

unsw.edu.au

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 ago

Stephen Kinnock has been appointed as Secretary of State for Wales @walesoffice.

1/ Great reporting in The Times on the emerging momentum behind support for compulsory voting, which @ippr.org called for a couple of weeks ago: www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Compulsory voting on the table as Burnham ponders electoral reform

Proposals seen by the prime minister’s advisers suggest a £10 fine for those who do not cast a ballot, with a ‘none of the above’ option to be included

thetimes.com

Sarwar has 14 days from taking his seat in the Lords to resign as an MSP. www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2025/308...

NEW: As Andy Burnham meets the first ministers of Scotland and Wales, this new short @instituteforgovernment.org.uk paper by top colleagues @akashpaun.bsky.social & @matthewfright.bsky.social sets out how the new PM needs to shape his Union strategy www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

The Burnham government needs a new strategy for the Union | Institute for Government

To deliver growth in every postcode, Burnham must build a genuine partnership with the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

committees.parliament.uk/committee/17...

The UK’s constitutional safeguards inquiry launched by Lords Constitution Committee - Committees - UK Parliament

The House of Lords Constitution Committee has today published a call for evidence for its inquiry into the UK’s constitutional safeguards. It is inviting interested individuals and organisations...

committees.parliament.uk

Major machinery of govt changes including - finally! - the creation of an Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet Long overdue and excellent news that the Burnham govt has grasped this nettle questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...

Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.

questions-statements.parliament.uk

Chagos with Ed Milliband! [Am I doing this right?]

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2w ago

Ed Miliband is foreign sec

This is a good read on the Dungeness lifeboat & RNLI, with some harrowing accounts of Channel rescues.

The Government has just asked the Electoral Commission to review election spending limits, which were massively hiked by the Tories. Could be very significant.

34 candidates confirmed for Clacton, a record. Full list available here: www.tendringdc.gov.uk/news/clacton...

Record number of candidates confirmed as Clacton voters prepare to choose next MP

The candidates who will contest the Clacton constituency by-election have now been confirmed.

tendringdc.gov.uk

It was a pleasure to address @hansardsociety.bsky.social on the role and contribution of @ukhouseoflords.bsky.social 📖 You can read the full speech here ⬇️ www.parliament.uk/business/lor... 🧵1/5

WAAAH! I can't believe I'm typing this - but I have a book contract for a non-fiction book for a general audience with @brisunipress.bsky.social to challenge damaging rhetoric about immigration and welfare, arguing that xenophobic law-making goes hand-in-hand with punishing the poor and hurts us all

STV will broadcast its last full news programme from the north of Scotland at 6pm this evening

STV to broadcast final news programme from Aberdeen tonight

thenational.scot

It's official, the Clacton by-election will be held on August 13. The announcement from Tendring Council includes a nice picture of the writ for the by-election, which is not something I've ever seen before.

Had a magical time during my legislative drafting secondment in Scotland - I wrote a little something about it in the July Loophole, now available online: www.calc.ngo/publications... 🇨🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

The reason this is being investigated by the police not the Electoral Commission is that this is an offence for which the Commission's civil sanctions powers can't be used. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Police investigate Reform donations, the Times reports

The investigation is looking into donations made to Reform UK by the mother of the convicted fraudster George Cottrell, according to the Times.

bbc.co.uk

Here are some alternatives to the Chiltern Hundreds procedure used by the House of Commons. None of these rely on a government minister: Scotland Act 1998, s14; Northern Ireland Act 1998, s51; the Governance of Wales Act 2006, s15; House of Lords Reform Act 2014, s1. Here's the Scotland Act, s14:

Ben Yong@bymyong.bsky.social · 4w ago

What is fascinating about the debate over whether the Chancellor can refuse Farage’s resignation is the marginalisation of Parliament on a decision affecting one of its own members. 1/4

The Chancellor has the power to stop Farage's cynical ploy. I've written to her this morning urging her to act. Farage should not be allowed to resign until the investigation into his dodgy dealings has concluded. The people of Clacton deserve the facts first.

So, there is a precedent for vetoing an MP's resignation Viscount Chelsea (Henry Cadogan) applied for the Chiltern Hundreds in 1842 The Chancellor (Goulburn) refused because, get this, Cadogan wanted to resign to obstruct an investigation for bribery h/t @fascinatorfun.bsky.social and @gazhay.com

Lord Mackay of Clashfern KT, who has died at the age of 99, was the last lord chancellor to serve all three branches of the constitution with distinction. rozenberg.substack.com/p/lord-macka...

Lord Mackay of Clashfern KT

After him, they broke the mould

rozenberg.substack.com

What is fascinating about the debate over whether the Chancellor can refuse Farage’s resignation is the marginalisation of Parliament on a decision affecting one of its own members. 1/4

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 ago

On 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.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Former Conservative minister Lord Mackay dies aged 99

The Tory peer, formerly Scotland's top law officer, has been described as a "hugely respected figure".

bbc.co.uk

www.lawscot.org.uk/news-and-eve...

‘Time is right’ for public consultation on reforming the Lord Advocate's dual role | Law Society of Scotland

lawscot.org.uk

How 100 volunteers are saving Scotland's rainforests. They have spent tens of thousands of hours collecting seeds from trees which colonised Scotland after the last ice age: hazel, sessile oak, dwarf birch, willow, juniper, birch, wild cherry, wych elm, yew and elder. @severincarrell.bsky.social

‘Literally growing the future’: volunteers help save Scottish rainforest by collecting 11m seeds

Teams painstakingly combed endangered Atlantic habitat over several years, helping to grow 8m native trees

theguardian.com