The number of reports on the coming showdown between government and parliament raise important constitutional issues (thread)
For outsiders the UK has always been an example of a system with an impressively powerful parliament. But then, the government in turn has larger powers over that parliament (and traditionally a majority in it which makes it difficult to decide who actually has the power).
Brexit clearly is a significant “constitutional moment”. Who yields the power? An all-powerful parliament? An imperial government?
I took the term imperial government from the US, where the strong executive is discussed in these terms. It is a bad fit for the UK given the past.
The more the press reports this is a showdown, the more impact this fight will have on the institutional balance for the future. This creates pressure for parliament to act, for institutional reasons alone.
Clearly, this will be a case for the textbooks. And I’d be grateful for any suggestions what term to use instead of “imperial” government to create a parallel to the “imperial presidency” in US debate.
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