The Politics of Parliamentary Restoration and Renewal: Decisions, Discretion, Democracy

Abstract

An extensive literature on aversive constitutionalism and elite blockages outlines the manner in which embedded political elites will generally reject or dilute reform agendas that threaten their privileged position within a constitutional configuration. It is for exactly this reason that the same seam of scholarship frequently highlights the role of crises in terms of providing a 'window of opportunity' through which a significant or fundamental recalibration of a political system may be achieved. 'The Palace of Westminster' the Joint Committee on Restoration and Renewal (R&R) concluded in September 2016 'faces an impending crisis which we cannot possibly ignore' Their recommendation was that the Palace be completely vacated for five to eight years so that a multi-billion-pound programme of rebuilding work can be undertaken. This article offers the first research-based analysis of the 'Scoping & Planning' stage (2012-17) and reveals the 'hidden politics' of R&R in the sense of how it threatens both the British political tradition and the position of the two main parties. This explains the nature of the very closed and secretive decision-making processes that have characterised this stage and why a number of formative decision-making points that have been deployed to frame and restrict the reform parameters.

Westminster’s Brexit Paradox: The contingency of the ‘old’ versus ‘new’ politics

“…The analysis in turn feeds into current approaches to understanding the dilemmas and contingencies surrounding the emergence of a post-Brexit governance settlement. While it should be recognised that the BPT has never been uncontested, the approach in this article complements other studies (Diamond, 2013;Flinders et al, 2018;Marsh and Hall, 2007) in underlining the cultural and institutional dominance of the BPT. Indeed, the May government's mantra of 'taking back control' is shaped by the reassertion of the old, centralising politics associated with the BPT, rather than the development of a new politics emphasising a more de-centralised and participatory approach.…”

Parliament: A Question of Management

“…Administrative change has often only followed a crisis or critical juncture rather than taking a planned and strategic approach (Russell 2011b;Flinders et al 2018a;Petit and Yong 2018). Little regard has been paid to the proposition that the public management requirements of a parliament, as a key public institution, should be taken as seriously as its political management.…”

“…Material defects in the Palace of Westminster remain, however, and much has been written on the subject by scholars and practitioners alike (see Childs 2016;Gay 2016;Flinders 2016Flinders , 2019Meakin 2017aMeakin , 2017bMeakin , 2018Meakin , 2020Crick Centre 2018;Flinders et al 2018aFlinders et al , 2019R. Kelly 2018;.…”

“…(Seaward 2017) The case for the United Kingdom's crumbling parliament symbolising a crumbling democracy continues to be prosecuted (see Flinders 2016Flinders , 2019Higgins 2017;Anderson and Meakin 2019). Scholars lament a missed opportunity to overcome internal resistance and use the building's restoration and renewal to improve the parliament's culture and effectiveness and open its environs to the public (Hansard Society 2011; 9 Flinders 2016;Flinders et al 2018aFlinders et al , 2018bFlinders et al , 2019Meakin 2017b;Crook and Harrison 2018;McCarthy-Cotter et al 2018). Many intimates of the existing building have resisted the potential loss of the building's historical connections, particularly if members are forced to 'decant' during its restoration (see D'Arcy 2015; HC Debates 2017a; Moore 2018).…”

“…2 Noted also by D. Elder, pers. comm., 7 April 2018. a clash between 'aversive and aspirational constitutionalism' (Flinders et al 2018a). This challenge can also be seen as a clash between a historical institutional and path-dependent perspective, where change occurs only as a result of a crisis or accident (Kelso 2009;Russell 2011b;Flinders et al 2018a;Petit and Yong 2018), and the strategically planned collaborative management approach that public management experts would advocate.…”