The Westminster Parliament is multifaceted, lacks cohesion and collective direction, appearing at times to challenge the very notion of a structured public institution itself. Within an environment with little collective identity, understanding who leads in the UK Parliament is challenging; there are multiple, contestable sites of leadership and governance. The purpose of this article is…Continue Reading Navigating three faces of decentred leadership in the UK Parliament
Category: Political Engagement
Human rights localisation in liberal states: the UK’s responsibility to protect as regime change and political transition in Syria
This article examines how powerful liberal states localise human rights-based norms. Taking a critical constructivist perspective, it does this through an empirical case study of how the UK understood its Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Syrians during the period 2014–2016. The research has two findings. First, R2P had little impact on the UK’s responses to Syria….Continue Reading Human rights localisation in liberal states: the UK’s responsibility to protect as regime change and political transition in Syria
Parliamentary committee witnesses: representation and diversity
Issues of diversity in elected bodies have received considerable attention in recent years, in particular with regard to the characteristics of elected representatives. This article explores a rather different dimension relating to representation and diversity, the witnesses that appear before parliamentary committees in their scrutiny of government actions and legislation. It draws on Pitkin and…Continue Reading Parliamentary committee witnesses: representation and diversity
Basic Economic Liberties: John Rawls and Adam Smith Reconciled
The moral status of economic liberty is a critical point of contention within liberal theory. Classical liberals, including Tomasi, suggest that economic activity is fundamental for exercising personal autonomy and its protection to be to the overall benefit of all persons. By contrast, egalitarian liberals, following Rawls, argue that economic activity is not a sufficiently…Continue Reading Basic Economic Liberties: John Rawls and Adam Smith Reconciled
Civic University or University of the Earth? A Call for Intellectual Insurgency
This article reviews an attempt to rejuvenate the concept of the civic university in the United Kingdom through the establishment of the Civic University Commission in 2018 by the UPP Foundation. This review is based on a critical appraisal of the concept of ‘civic’ on which the idea of the civic university relies. The review…Continue Reading Civic University or University of the Earth? A Call for Intellectual Insurgency
Myths in Austrian History
Austria’s post-WWII ‘victim-myth’ both shaped the country post-war history and, since its deconstruction in the aftermath of the Waldheim affair, is now a central trope in the scholarly literature. This volume aims at extending the discussion of different myths throughout Austria’s 20th century-history and some of their continuing impact on the present. We consider ‘myths’…Continue Reading Myths in Austrian History
Researching in and Influencing Parliaments
Drawing on two distinct strands of research this presentation briefly outlines: firstly, research and developing impact on the Westminster Parliament’s oversight of intelligence; secondly research for the Scottish Parliament and its subsequent impact. It highlights: the challenges of influencing legislatures; the variety of potential paths for impact; and the benefits of developing long-term relationships, whether…Continue Reading Researching in and Influencing Parliaments
The role of intuitive moral foundations in Britain’s vote on EU membership
In June 2016, British voters took part in a referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the European Union (EU). By a margin of 52% to 48%, they voted to leave. Studies have demonstrated that fixed demographic factors were the best predictors of voting intentions in either direction, or that “leave” voters were driven by…Continue Reading The role of intuitive moral foundations in Britain’s vote on EU membership
Hayek’s Appreciative Theory and Social Justice
How can Hayek’s epistemic institutionalism contribute to seeking social justice? I contribute to Peter Boettke’s project by bridging the gap between the Hayekian critique of social justice and its reception among normatively committed theorists and philosophers. I begin by summarising some inter-related cases proposed by political theorists for rejecting Hayek’s critique of social justice. I…Continue Reading Hayek’s Appreciative Theory and Social Justice