Labour’s Constitutional Agenda in Office: Constitution Unit Conference 2025 - Reforming the House of Commons

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.

The newly established Modernisation Committee has set out broad objectives of reforming standards, working practices, and procedure in the House of Commons. The Commons Procedure Committee has also announced a large number of inquiries. What are the priority areas for Commons reform? What should any reforms aim to achieve, and how can they balance competing priorities, for example of strengthening scrutiny and easing MPs’ working lives? How can reforms successfully attract broad support and allow the Commons to work more effectively? 

Speakers:

• Cat Smith MP – Labour MP for Lancaster and Wyre, and chair of the House of Commons Procedure Committee
• Wendy Chamberlain MP – Liberal Democrat MP for North East Fife, Liberal Democrat Chief Whip, and member of the House of Commons Modernisation Committee
• Dr Hannah White – Director of the Institute for Government

Chair: Dr Tom Fleming – Lecturer in British and Comparative Politics, UCL

Links:

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit

Mailing list: www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/get-involved/mailing-list

Blog: constitution-unit.com