Do the public care about lying to parliament? Yes, they do.

That's evident from snap polls this week. But @ConUnit_UCL research digs deeper, showing the desire for honesty in politics is deep and enduring.

🧵 (1/11) Our 2021 survey asked about what characteristics it is more important for politicians to have. ‘Being honest’ came top, closely followed by ‘owning up when they make mistakes’. (2/11)

Peers have voted by a majority of 66 to remove clauses from the #ElectionsBill that would fetter the independence of the Electoral Commission. Ten Conservatives defied the party whip.

The matter now returns to the Commons. Here are key points for MPs to consider. 1/ The relevant Commons committee - @CommonsPACAC - strongly supports the removal of these clauses. By limiting the Commission's independence, it says, they pose 'an unacceptable risk to the functioning of our democracy'. 2/

https://twitter.com/CommonsPACAC/status/1516750069420404739

What do you do when a major political party starts undermining our core democratic institutions?

Quick thread on the problem and potential solutions. (1/12)

@ConUnit_UCL The Conservatives are threatening a post-election 'day of reckoning for Channel 4'. They are fully within their rights to refer C4 to Ofcom over bias concerns. But for politicians to float interference with an independent broadcaster is outrageous. (2/12)

telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/…

The cross-party Commons Constitutional Affairs Committee has this morning issued a damning indictment of the state of electoral law in the UK. (1/6)

@CommonsPACAC Beyond consolidation and simplification, the committee advocates deep reform. It welcomes plans for digital imprints showing who has produced online ads and calls for a wider review of digital campaigning. It also urges reform of the system for challenging election results. (2/6)

The early election bill looks likely to go through without any changes to the campaign rules, even though those rules are near-universally seen as no longer fit for purpose. Here are some thoughts on key problems we need to look out for. (1/11) First, overviews:

"Electoral law is not fit for purpose" @CommonsCMS

"electoral law is increasingly complex and outdated, and presents real risks" @ElectoralCommUK

"Electoral reform is needed urgently as the current system is no longer fit for purpose" @AEA_Elections (2/11)

With all the talk of an early election, it's crucial to be clear on the possible timings. Here is a quick thread on the key points:

(1/7) Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, parliament is dissolved on the 25th working day before election day. For a 12 December election, that's 7 November. So the latest day for a motion to dissolve by 2/3 majority is 6 November. (2/7)

I argue in the @Telegraph that Boris Johnson's prorogation of parliament violates both basic constitutional principles and fundamental tenets of conservatism. Key points for those of you frustrated by the paywall:

THREAD (1/12)

telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/… The centrepiece of the UK's constitutional system is our democratically elected parliament. It has an essential role in scrutinizing government. Without it, we risk getting demagoguery, not democracy. (2/12)

Nicola Sturgeon has today made two big announcements:
(1) She will bring forward legislation setting out the rules for #indyref2
(2) She will call a citizens' assembly on the options and process.

Recent @ConUnit_UCL research has crucial things to say on both of these. (1/8) First, our Independent Commission on Referendums set out how current referendum rules in the UK are flawed and what needs to change, esp. better info for voters and greater transparency for digital campaigning. (2/8)

ucl.ac.uk/constitution-u…