Paul Silk
@paulsilk.bsky.social
Former parliamentary official. Devolution, parliaments, the constitution, rural Wales, Ukraine, amateur theology, and incompetent language-learning
Reposted by Paul Silk
Gareth Evans: The Devolution of the Crown Estate in Wales ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/09/04/g...
Gareth Evans: The Devolution of the Crown Estate in Wales
On 22 July 2025, the Crown Estate (Wales) Bill passed unopposed through report stage in the House of Lords. The Bill, which seeks to devolve the management of the Crown Estate in Wales, was introdu…
ukconstitutionallaw.org
September 4, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Gareth Evans: The Devolution of the Crown Estate in Wales ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/09/04/g...
A sad week for @studyofparl.bsky.social with the death of two distinguished members who were also both kind and principled - Sir Roger Sands, former Clerk of the House of Commons and Professor Michael Rush of Exeter University. We will miss them greatly
August 31, 2025 at 5:13 AM
A sad week for @studyofparl.bsky.social with the death of two distinguished members who were also both kind and principled - Sir Roger Sands, former Clerk of the House of Commons and Professor Michael Rush of Exeter University. We will miss them greatly
Nigel Farage yesterday asked Laura Anne Jones if the Senedd works. It would be really interesting to hear Reform's ideas about Senedd reform well in advance of next year's election
July 24, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Nigel Farage yesterday asked Laura Anne Jones if the Senedd works. It would be really interesting to hear Reform's ideas about Senedd reform well in advance of next year's election
Reposted by Paul Silk
New blogpost: The Afghan super-injunction case: Some constitutional implications publiclawforeveryone.com/2025/07/17/t...
The Afghan super-injunction case: Some constitutional implications
Following a catastrophic administrative errors placing the lives of thousands of Afghans at risk, the UK government obtained a super-injunction, enabling it to attempt to clear up the mess it had c…
publiclawforeveryone.com
July 17, 2025 at 4:59 PM
New blogpost: The Afghan super-injunction case: Some constitutional implications publiclawforeveryone.com/2025/07/17/t...
Great admiration for my wife's (a) fitness (b) commitment to support those who suffer domestic abuse. Please support her.
www.justgiving.com/team/calandv...
www.justgiving.com/team/calandv...
Kathryn's Three Peaks Challenge to support Calan DVS and the Montgomeryshire Family Crisis Centre
Help Kathryn Silk raise money to support Calan DVS
www.justgiving.com
June 23, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Great admiration for my wife's (a) fitness (b) commitment to support those who suffer domestic abuse. Please support her.
www.justgiving.com/team/calandv...
www.justgiving.com/team/calandv...
This article is well worth reading for the long quotation from the former professor of Mediterranean archaeology at Cardiff on what a university should be
The Chair of Cardiff University’s top decision-making body has been accused of seeking to mislead the Senedd in a letter of clarification he wrote to the Chair of a Senedd Committee ✍️Martin Shipton
Cardiff University chief accused again of misleading Senedd members
Martin Shipton The Chair of Cardiff University’s top decision-making body has been accused of seeking to mislead the Senedd in a letter of clarification he wrote to the Chair of a Senedd Committee. TV...
wp.me
June 19, 2025 at 5:10 AM
This article is well worth reading for the long quotation from the former professor of Mediterranean archaeology at Cardiff on what a university should be
Fiction turns into fact....
Francisco destituyó a Angelo Becciu por un fraude financiero y le despojó de los derechos como cardenal. Entre ellos, entrar al cónclave. Pero se ha presentado en la asamblea de purpurados e insiste en que tiene derecho a participar
El primer conflicto del cónclave: el cardenal empeñado en asistir, aunque el Papa Francisco se lo prohibió
Francisco destituyó a Angelo Becciu en 2020 por un fraude financiero y le despojó de los derechos de su cargo, pero se ha presentado en la asamblea de purpurados e insiste en que quiere participar en la elección
elpais.com
April 22, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Fiction turns into fact....
As a Princeton alumnus, I was very pleased to see this www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2025...
Universities are scared of Trump. Princeton spoke out — and others should join us.
But as Princeton stands up first, it can invite others to stand with it. Through coordinated action and litigation, universities can show that they will never again fight the Trump administration’s at...
www.dailyprincetonian.com
April 16, 2025 at 5:35 PM
As a Princeton alumnus, I was very pleased to see this www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2025...
Reposted by Paul Silk
Meg Russell, @ruxandrasrbn.bsky.social and various Constitution Unit fellows and honorary staff are among the 73 contributors to a new textbook on parliament.
Exploring Parliament is edited by @estrangeirada.bsky.social, @ameakin.bsky.social and @louisevthompson.bsky.social.
Find out more 👇
Exploring Parliament is edited by @estrangeirada.bsky.social, @ameakin.bsky.social and @louisevthompson.bsky.social.
Find out more 👇
New leading textbook on parliament published
The Constitution Unit’s Meg Russell and Ruxandra Serban, alongside various fellows and honorary staff, are among the 73 contributors to the second edition of Exploring Parliament.
www.ucl.ac.uk
March 26, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Meg Russell, @ruxandrasrbn.bsky.social and various Constitution Unit fellows and honorary staff are among the 73 contributors to a new textbook on parliament.
Exploring Parliament is edited by @estrangeirada.bsky.social, @ameakin.bsky.social and @louisevthompson.bsky.social.
Find out more 👇
Exploring Parliament is edited by @estrangeirada.bsky.social, @ameakin.bsky.social and @louisevthompson.bsky.social.
Find out more 👇
I hadn't read Laura's excellent blog about Dafydd El until today. His funeral tomorrow in Llandaf will be a chance to celebrate an extraordinary contribution to Wales and politics. I first worked with him almost 50 years ago. How much he will be missed
blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wal...
blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wal...
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas: Wales’s Political Nonconformist
Showcasing current research, comments and analysis on the law, politics, history, culture, government and political economy of Wales from the Wales Governance Centre.
blogs.cardiff.ac.uk
March 13, 2025 at 5:58 PM
I hadn't read Laura's excellent blog about Dafydd El until today. His funeral tomorrow in Llandaf will be a chance to celebrate an extraordinary contribution to Wales and politics. I first worked with him almost 50 years ago. How much he will be missed
blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wal...
blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/thinking-wal...
I am very interested in the extent to which the Planning and Infrastructure Bill may remove powers from the Senedd and Welsh Ministers - if it does, or if it does without requiring their consent. I hope someone will enlighten us!
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
'Biggest building boom' in a generation through planning reforms
Homes and key infrastructure will be built faster under Planning and Infrastructure Bill
www.gov.uk
March 11, 2025 at 3:18 PM
I am very interested in the extent to which the Planning and Infrastructure Bill may remove powers from the Senedd and Welsh Ministers - if it does, or if it does without requiring their consent. I hope someone will enlighten us!
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Excellent blog. Making pious declarations and making good legislation are two very different things
Our new blogpost explains why the reduction breaches a legal duty and how this breach reveals a deeper legislative failure.🔽
buff.ly/92lbtKz
buff.ly/92lbtKz
Breaching the 0.7% international aid target: a case study in legislative failure
The Prime Minister’s plan to cut international aid breaches the Government’s legal duty to meet the 0.7% spending target, raising constitutional concerns. Should an Act allow for premeditated…
buff.ly
March 5, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Excellent blog. Making pious declarations and making good legislation are two very different things
Reposted by Paul Silk
Our new blogpost explains why the reduction breaches a legal duty and how this breach reveals a deeper legislative failure.🔽
buff.ly/92lbtKz
buff.ly/92lbtKz
Breaching the 0.7% international aid target: a case study in legislative failure
The Prime Minister’s plan to cut international aid breaches the Government’s legal duty to meet the 0.7% spending target, raising constitutional concerns. Should an Act allow for premeditated…
buff.ly
March 5, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Our new blogpost explains why the reduction breaches a legal duty and how this breach reveals a deeper legislative failure.🔽
buff.ly/92lbtKz
buff.ly/92lbtKz
It isn't easy to say what has been most repugnant recently, but Vance and Trump's verbal assault on a polite and brave man speaking his third language was a disgrace
March 1, 2025 at 7:15 AM
It isn't easy to say what has been most repugnant recently, but Vance and Trump's verbal assault on a polite and brave man speaking his third language was a disgrace
Reposted by Paul Silk
A critique by our @hansardsociety.bsky.social
trustee @paulsilk.bsky.social about his experience as a petitioner in the Brecon and Radnor constituency in 2019 explored some of these admin/procedural flaws in the process. 10/
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/the-bre...
trustee @paulsilk.bsky.social about his experience as a petitioner in the Brecon and Radnor constituency in 2019 explored some of these admin/procedural flaws in the process. 10/
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/the-bre...
The Brecon and Radnorshire recall petition process: personal reflections by Sir Paul Silk
As an elector in Brecon and Radnorshire, Hansard Society Trustee Sir Paul Silk sets out 12 shortcomings he observed in the recall petition process that led on 21 June to the triggering of a parliament...
www.hansardsociety.org.uk
February 24, 2025 at 1:13 PM
A critique by our @hansardsociety.bsky.social
trustee @paulsilk.bsky.social about his experience as a petitioner in the Brecon and Radnor constituency in 2019 explored some of these admin/procedural flaws in the process. 10/
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/the-bre...
trustee @paulsilk.bsky.social about his experience as a petitioner in the Brecon and Radnor constituency in 2019 explored some of these admin/procedural flaws in the process. 10/
www.hansardsociety.org.uk/blog/the-bre...
Reposted by Paul Silk
Well done Germany.
(Turnout in the 2024 UK General Election was less than 60%. Which isn't great.)
(Turnout in the 2024 UK General Election was less than 60%. Which isn't great.)
February 23, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Well done Germany.
(Turnout in the 2024 UK General Election was less than 60%. Which isn't great.)
(Turnout in the 2024 UK General Election was less than 60%. Which isn't great.)
Most Constitutions allow the postponement of elections in times of national emergency, and President Trump himself suggested that the USA elections in 2020 might be postponed until people could "properly, securely and safely" vote (albeit that this is difficult under the US Constitution)
February 20, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Most Constitutions allow the postponement of elections in times of national emergency, and President Trump himself suggested that the USA elections in 2020 might be postponed until people could "properly, securely and safely" vote (albeit that this is difficult under the US Constitution)
Visiting the Capitoline Museums and seeing the bronze cast of the Lex de Imperio Vespasiani, couldn't help thinking that executive orders are nothing new
February 10, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Visiting the Capitoline Museums and seeing the bronze cast of the Lex de Imperio Vespasiani, couldn't help thinking that executive orders are nothing new
Very sorry to hear of the death of Dafydd Elis Thomas. He was certainly mercurial, but he was an enormous figure in the development of the Welsh constitution. I liked him a lot. RIP
February 7, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Very sorry to hear of the death of Dafydd Elis Thomas. He was certainly mercurial, but he was an enormous figure in the development of the Welsh constitution. I liked him a lot. RIP
As Porfirio Díaz so perceptively said, "poor Mexico: so far from God, so close to the USA"
February 3, 2025 at 2:56 PM
As Porfirio Díaz so perceptively said, "poor Mexico: so far from God, so close to the USA"
Grim news from Cardiff University. I understand the pressures, but it is hard to conceive of a university that does not teach and research foreign languages, music and theology
January 28, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Grim news from Cardiff University. I understand the pressures, but it is hard to conceive of a university that does not teach and research foreign languages, music and theology
Reposted by Paul Silk
Russia wipes out three generations of a family in one strike
Russia wipes out three generations of a family in one strike
A Ukrainian grandmother mourns her daughter, grandson and mother - killed in a single Russian strike.
www.bbc.com
January 28, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Russia wipes out three generations of a family in one strike
The appropriation of the term "America" by the USA is annoying. Mexicans are Americans too, so the name "Gulf of America" may not worry them. At least it's better than its earlier name - Golfo de Nueva España. And Mexicans (and everyone else outside the USA) can continue calling it Gulf of Mexico
January 21, 2025 at 10:37 AM
The appropriation of the term "America" by the USA is annoying. Mexicans are Americans too, so the name "Gulf of America" may not worry them. At least it's better than its earlier name - Golfo de Nueva España. And Mexicans (and everyone else outside the USA) can continue calling it Gulf of Mexico
This should interest @studyofparl.bsky.social members - Anwen will be a brilliant Chair
www.gov.wales/written-stat...
www.gov.wales/written-stat...
Written Statement: Innovating Democracy Advisory Group | GOV.WALES
Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
www.gov.wales
January 17, 2025 at 5:34 PM
This should interest @studyofparl.bsky.social members - Anwen will be a brilliant Chair
www.gov.wales/written-stat...
www.gov.wales/written-stat...