Poltical Update Blog

Representative Democracy in Brexit Britain

The vote on legislation to leave the EU on 1st February through up some interesting points and examples about the nature of representation and democracy in the U.K. The most striking was the fact that so many MPs voted against their own self interest. In fact, this may be the first time a majority of MPs have voted against their own views. So, does this mean representative democracy is no more and is popular sovereignty the dominant force in the U.K.? The idea that representatives should make

Why Scalia will be spinning in his grave and the Democrats have got it wrong

Above all, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a constitutionalist. He developed and adhered to a judicial philosophy of originalism that meant the American constitution should be interpreted as it was intended by the founding fathers. Scalia would look at the Senates’ power of advice and consent and interpret it as the right and duty of senators to give their opinions on a judicial nominee and advise the President about the candidate’s suitability to be a Supreme Court justice and then

The Supreme Court Rules on Brexit

The Supreme Court ruling on Brexit should have come as no surprise to those who study A Level politics. The ruling confirmed that Parliament, not the government, holds the power, or sovereignty, to make decisions about altering the laws of the UK. The ruling also confirmed that the devolved bodies are subservient to the Westminster, again reaffirming the principle of parliamentary sovereignty. This is a fundamental principle of the British constitution, yet many seemed confused about the whole