The constitution by topic
Constitution includes the following topic areas. Please click the links to access lists of publications by topic:
Devolution
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Improving social mobility: Lords Social Mobility Policy Committee report
Social mobility can broadly be defined as the link between the socio-economic circumstances someone grew up in and their own outcomes as adults. Numerous factors affect social mobility, including ethnicity, gender and regional inequality. The House of Lords Social Mobility Policy Committee published a report in November 2025 considering how education and work opportunities could be better integrated to improve social mobility in the UK.
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Government’s political and legislative agenda
Andy Burnham became UK prime minister on 20 July 2026. Since then, the government has made a series of policy announcements and has provided an indication of its political priorities, particularly regarding the devolution of powers to local areas. This briefing summarises those announcements ahead of a debate in the House of Lords on the government’s political and legislative plans.
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Skills and post 16 education policy: Reducing barriers and supporting regional growth
Research has suggested workforce skills and qualifications are linked to employment rates, earnings and economic productivity, with disadvantaged groups more likely to have poorer educational and labour market outcomes. Official statistics also show that disadvantaged pupils are at greater risk of not sustaining a destination in education, apprenticeships or employment. This briefing outlines government policies on skills, apprenticeships, further and higher education and regional devolution aimed at improving opportunities and supporting economic growth.
Elections
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Political party finance and the Electoral Commission: Regulatory powers and proposed changes
The Electoral Commission is the regulator for political party funding in the UK. Through the Representation of the People Bill, the government is seeking to expand the commission’s civil sanctions remit and increase the fines it can impose.
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Threats to UK democracy: Disinformation, foreign interference and declining public trust
Social media and other technologies have made it easier, quicker and cheaper for foreign powers to spread false information online aimed at undermining UK democracy. Such disinformation campaigns are one type of interference operation. In parallel, researchers have noted a link between declining public trust and societal polarisation, which can be exacerbated by online discourse. This briefing provides introductory reading to these issues, including recent reports and government announcements.
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Recommendations of the Jo Cox Civility Commission
Concerns about abuse and intimidation towards elected representatives have increased in recent years. The Jo Cox Civility Commission made a number of recommendations in a 2024 report to address this because of concerns that this activity would dissuade people from standing in elections and encourage existing representatives to stand down. The government has instigated a number of policies to tackle the abuse and intimidation of elected representatives.
Government
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Government’s political and legislative agenda
Andy Burnham became UK prime minister on 20 July 2026. Since then, the government has made a series of policy announcements and has provided an indication of its political priorities, particularly regarding the devolution of powers to local areas. This briefing summarises those announcements ahead of a debate in the House of Lords on the government’s political and legislative plans.
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Ministers in the House of Lords: Role and accountability to Parliament
Ministers are needed in the House of Lords to take legislation through the House and answer for the government during questions and debates. Some cabinet ministers are appointed from the Lords. For example, the leader of the House of Lords is always a member of the Lords. This briefing looks at the role of ministers in the House of Lords and how they are scrutinised.
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Conduct of Undercover Policing and Surveillance Operatives Bill [HL]: HL Bill 9 of 2026–27
The Conduct of Undercover Policing and Surveillance Operatives Bill is a private member’s bill introduced in the House of Lords. It would make it an offence for a person deployed as a covert human intelligence source (CHIS) to engage in an intimate sexual relationship with any person they have been deployed to target, who is a member of the group they have been deployed to target, or whom they encounter during their deployment.
Local government
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Government’s political and legislative agenda
Andy Burnham became UK prime minister on 20 July 2026. Since then, the government has made a series of policy announcements and has provided an indication of its political priorities, particularly regarding the devolution of powers to local areas. This briefing summarises those announcements ahead of a debate in the House of Lords on the government’s political and legislative plans.
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Homelessness and rough sleeping among released prisoners
In 2024/25, around 1,000 prisoners a month were released from prison homeless and went on to rough sleep in England and Wales. This briefing summarises the statistics on homelessness among those released from prison, the early prison release schemes, and the statutory duties on prisons to refer those at risk of homelessness to local authority housing services.
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Local Plans (Burial Space) Bill [HL]: HL Bill 8 of session 2026–27
The Local Plans (Burial Space) Bill [HL] is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Mohammed of Tinsley (Liberal Democrat). The bill would establish a duty for local planning authorities in England to ensure adequate burial ground space is provided in their local area. It would also require them to set out plans for how they intend to address any shortfall in burial ground capacity.
Parliament
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Parliamentary sessions: Years without a King’s Speech
A speech by the sovereign at the start of a parliamentary session usually takes place every year. However, there have been seven years since 1900 without a speech. Most can be ascribed to the preceding session being longer than average. The most recent year without a King’s Speech was 2025, resulting from the Starmer government’s decision to extend the session beginning in July 2024 until April 2026.
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Forced labour in UK supply chains: Joint Committee on Human Rights report
In July 2025, the Joint Committee on Human Rights published a report contending that goods which are produced or part-produced with forced labour are being sold to consumers in the UK. It also argued that the UK had fallen behind comparable countries in its approach to tackling forced labour. The committee called for new legislation to address the issue. The government responded that it was “actively exploring options to strengthen protections”.
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Ending ministerial by-elections: Lords debate 1926
The recent King’s Speech confirmed plans to lower the voting age to 16. A century earlier, Parliament examined proposals for a very different constitutional change: ending ministerial by-elections. Introduced in the 18th century as a safeguard against crown influence, ministerial by-elections were later viewed by some as outdated. For others, they were an important democratic safeguard. This briefing examines the Lords second reading debate on the bill that abolished the by-elections.
