Heather Green
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votingrules.bsky.social
Heather Green
@votingrules.bsky.social
660 followers 780 following 99 posts
Legal academic - public law & law relating to elections. Former University employee, now working independently/not institutionally affiliated in Aberdeen, Scotland.
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Reposted by Heather Green
ukcla.bsky.social
Stewart Duncan: Reforming Holyrood’s Committees: A Constitutional Perspective ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/11/27/s...
Stewart Duncan: Reforming Holyrood’s Committees: A Constitutional Perspective
Committees, scrutiny and the distribution of power at Holyrood From when the Scottish Parliament was first established, much was asked of its committee system. In a unicameral legislature, without …
ukconstitutionallaw.org
November 27, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Reposted by Heather Green
muteswann.bsky.social
We’ve sent in our concerns and recommendation… watch this space!

business.senedd.wales/ieIssueDetai...
Items at meetings - Senedd Cymru (Member Accountability and Elections) Bill | Senedd
A summary of all discussions at meetings relating to issue Senedd Cymru (Member Accountability and Elections) Bill
business.senedd.wales
November 20, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
commonsproccom.parliament.uk
📢 NEW: We've launched an inquiry undertaking a detailed review into the purpose and use of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs).

Are WPQs still delivering on their intended purpose to uphold transparency and accountability? Submit your views ➡️ committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evi...
Procedure Committee Written Parliamentary Questions Share your views on our inquiry by submitting written evidence
November 24, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
owenboswarva.bsky.social
UK House of Commons: @commonsproccom.parliament.uk has launched an inquiry undertaking a detailed review of Written Parliamentary Questions (WPQs) committees.parliament.uk/committee/12...

Find written questions and answers questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

#opengov #FOI -relevant
The inquiry will focus on: ● The purpose and value of a WPQ for MPs and their staff, and whether this has changed over time ● The interaction between WPQ and the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and any other recent changes that have impacted on the ability of MPs to gain access to the same, or similar, information via other methods ● The limits on the number of WPQ that MPs can submit on any given day, and whether they are comparable with the rules in place in other legislatures ● Whether the internal House of Commons processes and procedures, and those in Government Departments, for processing and dealing with WPQs are working effectively and efficiently
November 24, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
drbenstanford.bsky.social
When something is so obviously, so easily, the right thing to do.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Politicians urge Labour to restore Electoral Commission independence
All-party group say move is needed to stop UK lagging behind global standards on election integrity
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:21 AM
votingrules.bsky.social
Minister confirming that voter ID law will be reformed to permit use of bank cards issued by UK-regulated banks.
November 24, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
unlockdemocracy.bsky.social
No government should be able to meddle with the elections regulator.

New Labour set up the Electoral Commission to be an independent watchdog.

This Labour government must honour their pre-election rhetoric and restore full independence to the Commission.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Politicians urge Labour to restore Electoral Commission independence
All-party group say move is needed to stop UK lagging behind global standards on election integrity
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Reposted by Heather Green
libbybrooks.bsky.social
So gallus

www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Scotland’s World Cup qualifying win reactions equivalent to small earthquake
Celebrations to McLean’s jaw-dropping goal picked up by seismic activity monitors at Glasgow Geothermal Observatory
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
lisajames.bsky.social
The @houseoflords.parliament.uk Constitution Committee report on the rule of law is now out.

It's good to see the committee include legislative scrutiny as a key means of upholding the rule of law (and mention some recent problems with quality of scrutiny).

committees.parliament.uk/committee/17...
Rule of law: holding the line between anarchy and tyranny - Committees - UK Parliament
The rule of law in the UK is being weakened, and everyone must take steps to protect it against further erosion, says the House of Lords Constitution Committee.
committees.parliament.uk
November 20, 2025 at 10:26 AM
votingrules.bsky.social
Q: Are people on universal credit entitled to raise funds to stand for election?

A: it's treated as capital for UC purposes & may affect eligibility if total exceeds £6K
November 19, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
seanrainford.bsky.social
In this forthcoming comparative paper, I argue that India's basic structure doctrine and the finality of referendums in Ireland both play an equivalent constitutional role of taking 'final say sovereignty' away from politicians.
Pre-publication draft: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Pre-publication draft, forthcoming in International Journal of Constitutional Law Constitutional Amendment and the Final Say in Ireland and India Seán Rainford Irish and Indian approaches to constitutional amendment would appear to be chalk and cheese: Irish courts insist that the people have an unfettered right to amend tbe Constitution through referendum in any way they wish; Indian courts have beld since 1973 that Parliament cannot amend the Constitution's 'basic structure'. They thus occupy opposite poles in the form, scope, and judicial oversight of constitutional amendment pomers. However, this paper argues that when the historical context of each amendment regime is understood, a functional equivalence can be observed between the finality of referendum results in Ireland and the Indian basic structure doctrine. Before these arrangements, 'final say sovereignty' - the position of unaccountability or finality within a constitution - was held by each country's parliament and often used for authoritarian ends. The finality of the referendum in Ireland and the Indian judiciary's basic structure review power both deny parliament final say sovereignty by bolding this power themselves; in both cases, the transference of this kind of sovereignty proved decisive for consolidating law-bound government. However, the essential diferences between a referendum process and a judicial power to review amendments cannot be overlooked, and these create distinct approaches to constitutional identity. The effects of final say sovereignty for a constitution will be different depending on who wields it.
November 19, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Reposted by Heather Green
crookedfootball.bsky.social
Me at the LRB blog on the atrocious refugee policy of Mahmood and Starmer
Christopher Bertram | ‘Core Protection’
Refugeehood is not supposed to be like this. The ideal envisaged by the Refugee Convention is that refugee status should...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 6:37 PM
votingrules.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Challenge to Reform UK's Runcorn and Helsby by-election win fails - BBC News
Reform UK's winning candidate Sarah Pochin and the by-election's returning officer are awarded costs.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
andrewteale.me.uk
The legal challenge to Sarah Pochin's win in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election has failed. For readers of Andrew's Previews this result should not come as a surprise. This is what I wrote in advance of the trial: andrewspreviews.substack.com/i/173830744/...
Previewing the five local by-elections of 18th September 2025
"All the right votes, but not necessarily in the right order"
andrewspreviews.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
charig.bsky.social
Voting in Denmark is difficult, as it requires you to fold these gigantic ballot papers (up to nearly 1 meter long) and somehow stuff them into the ballot box

www.dr.dk/nyheder/indl...
November 18, 2025 at 11:13 AM
votingrules.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
NHS Grampian could drill deep into ground for heat from granite
The geothermal heat project would mean drilling a 1.5 mile (2.5km) hole in a hunt for renewable heating.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
tonyvaughanmp.bsky.social
The Prime Minister said in September that we are at a fork in the road. These asylum proposals suggest we have taken the wrong turning.

The idea that recognised refugees need to be deported is wrong.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Asylum system in UK ‘out of control’ and dividing country, home secretary says
Shabana Mahmood to unveil new proposals modelled on Denmark’s controversial system
www.theguardian.com
November 16, 2025 at 5:45 PM
votingrules.bsky.social
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562273...
Supreme Court to sit in Glasgow next year
It follows on from the Court’s successful sitting in Manchester for a week in March 2023, and previous sittings in the UK’s capital cities.
www.heraldscotland.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
josiahmortimer.bsky.social
Here's the Govt announcement on proposed changes to rules around suspending councillors, codes of conduct etc.

Sounds wonky but actually v important when it comes to rooting out wrongdoers, crooks and donation-hiders (when ministers get round to legislating on it)
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Tough new powers to clean up local politics
Sweeping reforms will strengthen standards and rebuild confidence in local government.
www.gov.uk
November 11, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
holyroodmag.bsky.social
MSPs have backed in principle the establishment of a recall system for the Scottish Parliament. www.holyrood.com/news/view,re...
Recall system backed in principle by Scottish Parliament
A review of the complaints and sanctions process was also agreed
www.holyrood.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
lizziedearden.bsky.social
The government has announced that Police and Crime Commissioners will be scrapped in 2028 - which would have been the next elections - saying it will "cut the cost of unnecessary bureaucracy"

Many senior police officers have long wanted them gone, as seen here www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Elected police and crime commissioners can be 'absolutely bleeding hopeless', report told
Officers tell researchers Coalition government changes left 'bonkers' structure of British policing
www.independent.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
stevepeers.bsky.social
EU Commission "democracy shield" plans
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
European Democracy Shield and EU Strategy for Civil Society pave the way for stronger and more resilient democracies
The Commission has presented today the European Democracy Shield, setting out a series of concrete measures to empower, protect, and promote strong and resilient democracies across the EU. An open civ...
ec.europa.eu
November 12, 2025 at 12:02 PM
votingrules.bsky.social
news.stv.tv/north/sherif...
'When MND took my voice, I found another way to deliver justice'
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael is believed to be the only judge in the world to preside over criminal cases using text-to-speech technology.
news.stv.tv
November 12, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Reposted by Heather Green
conunitucl.bsky.social
Last week Robert Spano, Jens Elo Peters Rytter, @colmocinneide.bsky.social, @alicedonald.bsky.social and @profveronika.bsky.social discussed the future of the European Convention on Human Rights, including what Denmark has done.

Watch a recording of the event at @laws.ucl.ac.uk 👇
The Future of the ECHR - In Europe and UK
Speakers: Former Judge Robert Spano, Former President of European Court of Human Rights, Partner at Gibson Dunn Professor Jens Elo Peters Rytter, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of…
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Heather Green
houseoflords.parliament.uk
Chloe Mawson has been appointed the 66th Clerk of the Parliaments and is the first woman to take up the post.

The Clerk of the Parliaments is head of the House of Lords Administration and Chief Procedural Adviser to the House.
Chloe Mawson, appointed 66th Clerk of the Parliaments
November 10, 2025 at 3:29 PM