Paul Silk

Gareth Evans: The Devolution of the Crown Estate in Wales ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/09/04/g...

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

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…

New blogpost: The Afghan super-injunction case: Some constitutional implications publiclawforeveryone.com/2025/07/17/t...

Kathryn's Three Peaks Challenge to support Calan DVS and the Montgomeryshire Family Crisis Centre Help Kathryn Silk raise money to support Calan DVS

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...

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

Fiction turns into fact....

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...

As a Princeton alumnus, I was very pleased to see this www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2025...

New leading textbook on parliament published The Constitution Unit’s Meg Russell and Ruxandra Serban, alongside various fellows and honorary staff, are among the 73 contributors to the second edition of Exploring Parliament.

Meg Russell, @ruxandrasrbn.bsky.social and various Constitution Unit fellows and honorary staff are among the 73 contributors to a new textbook on parliament.

Exploring Parliament is edited by @estrangeirada.bsky.social, @ameakin.bsky.social and @louisevthompson.bsky.social.

Find out more 👇

Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Wales’s Political Nonconformist Showcasing current research, comments and analysis on the law, politics, history, culture, government and political economy of Wales from the Wales Governance Centre.

I hadn't read Laura's excellent blog about Dafydd El until today. His funeral tomorrow in Llandaf will be a chance to celebrate an extraordinary contribution to Wales and politics. I first worked with him almost 50 years ago. How much he will be missed
blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wal...

'Biggest building boom' in a generation through planning reforms Homes and key infrastructure will be built faster under Planning and Infrastructure Bill

I am very interested in the extent to which the Planning and Infrastructure Bill may remove powers from the Senedd and Welsh Ministers - if it does, or if it does without requiring their consent. I hope someone will enlighten us!
www.gov.uk/government/n...

www.eventbrite.com/e/where-next...

This should be interesting

Excellent blog. Making pious declarations and making good legislation are two very different things

Breaching the 0.7% international aid target: a case study in legislative failure The Prime Minister’s plan to cut international aid breaches the Government’s legal duty to meet the 0.7% spending target, raising constitutional concerns. Should an Act allow for premeditated…

Our new blogpost explains why the reduction breaches a legal duty and how this breach reveals a deeper legislative failure.🔽
buff.ly/92lbtKz

It isn't easy to say what has been most repugnant recently, but Vance and Trump's verbal assault on a polite and brave man speaking his third language was a disgrace

The Brecon and Radnorshire recall petition process: personal reflections by Sir Paul Silk As an elector in Brecon and Radnorshire, Hansard Society Trustee Sir Paul Silk sets out 12 shortcomings he observed in the recall petition process that led on 21 June to the triggering of a parliament...

A critique by our @hansardsociety.bsky.social
trustee @paulsilk.bsky.social about his experience as a petitioner in the Brecon and Radnor constituency in 2019 explored some of these admin/procedural flaws in the process. 10/
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/the-bre...

Well done Germany.

(Turnout in the 2024 UK General Election was less than 60%. Which isn't great.)

Most Constitutions allow the postponement of elections in times of national emergency, and President Trump himself suggested that the USA elections in 2020 might be postponed until people could "properly, securely and safely" vote (albeit that this is difficult under the US Constitution)

Visiting the Capitoline Museums and seeing the bronze cast of the Lex de Imperio Vespasiani, couldn't help thinking that executive orders are nothing new

Very sorry to hear of the death of Dafydd Elis Thomas. He was certainly mercurial, but he was an enormous figure in the development of the Welsh constitution. I liked him a lot. RIP

As Porfirio Díaz so perceptively said, "poor Mexico: so far from God, so close to the USA"

It is profoundly depressing that a Russell Group university is contemplating the ending of research and teaching in the core humanities

Grim news from Cardiff University. I understand the pressures, but it is hard to conceive of a university that does not teach and research foreign languages, music and theology

Russia wipes out three generations of a family in one strike A Ukrainian grandmother mourns her daughter, grandson and mother - killed in a single Russian strike.

Russia wipes out three generations of a family in one strike

The appropriation of the term "America" by the USA is annoying. Mexicans are Americans too, so the name "Gulf of America" may not worry them. At least it's better than its earlier name - Golfo de Nueva España. And Mexicans (and everyone else outside the USA) can continue calling it Gulf of Mexico

Written Statement: Innovating Democracy Advisory Group | GOV.WALES Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs

This should interest @studyofparl.bsky.social members - Anwen will be a brilliant Chair
www.gov.wales/written-stat...

First Minister Eluned Morgan sings Japanese anthem The first minister delivers a rendition of Kimigayo, to welcome Ambassador Suzuki to Wales.

Now I certainly can't comment on her pronunciation, but she's got a lovely voice - and courage. Da iawn yn wir!

BBC News - First Minister Eluned Morgan sings Japanese anthem - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...

Japanese UK ambassador sings Welsh anthem In a post on X, Ambassador Suzuki is seen singing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

BBC News - Japanese UK ambassador sings Welsh anthem - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...

This is lovely. Good voice and spirited attempt at pronunciation. Puts one former Secretary of State to shame

Very sorry to read this. Jenny was always a pleasure to work with - kind, decent and committed to the causes she cared about

If Russia is so concerned about Ukraine’s defensive action then Russia should stop invading: UK statement at the UN Security Council Statement by Fergus Eckersley, UK Minister Counsellor, at the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security.

www.gov.uk/government/s...