CRG Timeline
Evidence to the House of Lords Constitution Committee
In January 2016 the Marquess of Salisbury, Lord Hain and Daniel Greenberg gave evidence to the House of Lords Constitution Committee on “The Union and Devolution”.
Lord Hain explained that “Devolution up until now has been a top-down process: the centre deciding to devolve powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and more recently in parts of England. The model we are proposing is a bottom-up process. It is turning it on its head”.
Meeting with the Prime Minister
Former Labour Party MP, Gisela Stuart, asked a question to the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, during PMQs on 20 January 2016 about a meeting with members from the Constitution Reform Group. The meeting took place not long afterwards, in the Spring of 2016, where he agreed for the Cabinet Office to work with the Group.
In July 2016 the Group agreed and formulated a new constitutional settlement in the form of the draft Act Of Union Bill
The Group’s policy ideas and vision for the future of the UK was drafted into the Bill by Daniel Greenberg, Counsel for Domestic Legislation in the House of Commons and former Parliamentary Counsel to the UK Cabinet Office.
Power-sharing at Stormont collapses
Governing at Stormont collapsed owing to ongoing disagreements between the DUP and Sinn Féin. All attempts to restore power-sharing have failed since January 2017. Northern Ireland holds the world record for the longest period without a sitting government, which it passed after 589 days.
United Kingdom General Election takes place. The Conservative Party forms a minority Government with the Democratic Unionist Party
First reading of the Act of Union Bill 2018 in the House of Lords
The Bill was formally introduced in the House of Lords by Lord Lisvane, a Crossbench peer in the House of Lords and former Clerk and Chief Executive of the House of Commons, on 9 October 2018.
Breakfast Briefing at the Institute for Government
The Constitution Reform Group Steering Committee presented the Act of Union Bill 2018 to an audience comprising of politicians, journalists, academics and civil society organisations at the Institute for Government on 11 October 2018.
Constitutional Convention debate
Lord Hain made reference to the CRG in his speech during the Constitutional Convention debate on 13 December 2018 where he acknowledged that “Without wide-ranging constitutional reform the very future of the United Kingdom is imperilled”.
Crossbench Debate – “To move that this House takes note of the possible effects of Brexit on the stability of the Union”
On 17 January 2019 Lord Lisvane’s Motion received the most votes out of a possible 20 Motions proposed by Crossbench peers to debate this key topic, highlighting how the Act of Union Bill 2018 “…would replace the central imperial condescension with a devolution settlement properly owned by its participants”.
Three MPs join the CRG Steering Committee
In February 2019 it was formally announced that Lisa Nandy MP, Seema Malhotra MP and Bim Afolami MP had joined the Group – and so bringing the increasingly urgent issue of overarching constitutional reform within the sphere of the House of Commons.
MPs reject the Government’s EU Withdrawal Agreement and Brexit is delayed – potentially until 31 October 2019
House of Lords Debate – “That this House takes note of the 20th anniversary of devolution in the United Kingdom and the role of the devolved administrations in the governance of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland“
Lord Hain made reference to the CRG in his speech during the House of Lords debate on 22 May 2019 where he acknowledged that “There is unfinished business of devolution in England outside of London. That is not sustainable and the Government needs to address it.”
Theresa May resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
