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rowaninlondon.bsky.social
Rowan Hall
@rowaninlondon.bsky.social
830 followers 1.2K following 170 posts
Impact Research Fellow @conunitucl.bsky.social | All views are my own
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rowaninlondon.bsky.social
Something else: paid board members and 'commissioners'. Paying politicians is good: it professionalises, attracts and maintains talent and prevents corruption.

I am concerned that different types of deputy mayors and commissioners does not help accessibility though. How about 'assistant mayor'?
4A. Remuneration of constituent members Mayors often appoint constituent council members to carry out vital work for the Strategic Authority in areas such as housing and transport. However, the majority of Strategic Authorities are currently unable to pay members for this work. Members should not be expected to do important work for free, and constituent councils should not foot the bill for work done in service of another body. The Bill will change this so that constituent council members can be paid by the Strategic Authority. The level of pay will be determined by the Strategic Authority’s independent renumeration panel. 4B. Commissioners In addition to allowing Strategic Authorities to remunerate members, Mayors will also be able appoint and remunerate ‘Commissioners’ to lead on 1 of 7 ‘areas of competence’, to increase capacity for strategic authorities and give the mayor more flexibility in how they choose to deliver for their area. They will not be members of the Strategic Authority, and will be similar to the Mayor of London’s existing powers to appoint Deputy Mayors, which will remain for London. If they choose to appoint them, Mayors will determine the portfolios of the Commissioners so they are tailored for their authorities. They will also be able to delegate some functions to a Commissioner. Where a Mayor exercises the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner function they will continue to be able to appoint a Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime to provide leadership and to either ask them to take on the same role for Fire or appoint a separate Public Safety Commissioner to take on Fire responsibilities. In areas where the Mayor does not hold the Police and Crime Commissioner function, they can still appoint a Public Safety Commissioner but they will have no role in the work undertaken by the Police and Crime Commissioner. Additional technical details will be provided in statutory guidance.
July 11, 2025 at 7:29 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
An interesting feature of the English devolution bill that I think has been underdiscussed: the abolition of the committee system and seeming phase out of executive mayors for local authorities.

Maybe this uniformity will help with accessibility, but I hope that it will be brought up in parliament!
1B. Local authority governance Previously, councils in England were able to choose between 3 different governance models: Mayor and Cabinet, Leader and Cabinet, and the committee system. As a result, councils are left with complicated governance arrangements. The Bill will move away from this arrangement by abolishing the committee system and preventing the creation of any new local authority Mayors. Those councils operating a committee system will move to operate a leader and cabinet model, whilst the remaining councils with existing Mayors will have the option to continue with an elected Mayor, or transition to a leader (and therefore the leader and cabinet model) should they wish. The committee system can be unclear, duplicative and wasteful. Requiring all councils which operate the committee system to transition to the leader and cabinet model (which the vast majority of councils currently operate) will simplify the governance system and ensure all councils operate an executive form of governance. This will provide clarity on responsibility and accountability and improve efficiency in decision making. To avoid the potential confusion caused by the establishment of new Mayors for Strategic Authorities and for councils, we will prevent the establishment of any new council mayoralties, but we will not abolish the existing 13 council mayoralties. For the majority of councils this means no change, as around 80% of councils already operate a Leader and Cabinet model, and the majority of councils currently operating a committee system would be moving to leader and cabinet as part of local government reorganisation. Councils still operating the committee system who are not part of local government reorganisation will be given one year from the date of the legislation coming into force to make the transition.
July 11, 2025 at 7:10 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
We had a fantastic line-up and great discussions at our conference this year. And it was a real team effort internally!

This from the keynote sticks with me. Voters on doorsteps may not explicitly refer to constitutional reform, but they still really care about it!

Recordings are available below.
Outside of these four walls, the phrase ‘constitutional reform’ may not immediately mean much to the ordinary person. But they are more than familiar with the rationale for it. Politics that feels divorced from their day-to-day lives… …decisions about their local area being made in another nation… …a system that seems to safeguard a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ approach to public life.
June 20, 2025 at 11:11 AM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
I do love this. Read Meg's blog post and Ian's article below!
This week, one person had enough: Meg Russell, a political scientist who runs The Constitution Unit at University College London. She is probably the single most knowledgeable individual in the country on the study of parliament. She has spent decades fighting for modest, moderate constitutional reform. When she speaks, nerds listen.
April 10, 2025 at 11:14 AM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
I have a theory that every second-hand bookshop in this country has a copy of Peter Mandelson's autobiography.
A cropped image of the front cover of 'The Third Man' by Peter Mandelson.
April 6, 2025 at 4:54 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
This would surely be an open-and-shut violation of the 12th amendment, which the article linked to does not mention.
Twelfth Amendment But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States. Twenty-Second Amendment Section 1 No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.
March 6, 2025 at 4:33 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
I hope that there is no one called Holne behind me.
A road sign reading 'HOLNE CHASE'.
February 23, 2025 at 2:29 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
I already was...
A road sign reading 'ROWAN WALK'.
February 23, 2025 at 2:28 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
A small behind the scenes on this excellent blog post: I clicked the wrong button when I was uploading it on Friday and ended up with an AI-generated summary image, featuring those twin clocktowers that Westminster is famous for!
A group of people (all but one women, perhaps excluding the man) in front of a Palace of Westminster with two Elizabeth Towers.
February 17, 2025 at 6:19 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
Good news! I have found my old watch.

(Pictured next to my new watch for comparison.)
Two identical watches.
January 22, 2025 at 10:36 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
A common misconception around US presidential inaugurations is that the president-elect becomes president when they take the oath of office.

This is not true. They become president at 12pm (5pm GMT): the oath is required for them to 'enter on the execution of his office'.

Relevant excerpts 👇
20th Amendment Section 1 The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin. Article II Section 1 Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
January 20, 2025 at 2:20 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
And naturally...
The Muppet Christmas Carol.
December 24, 2024 at 10:28 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
Happy Christmas Eve!
A Christmas Eve red sky behind trees and a canal.
December 24, 2024 at 10:12 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
A very December evening.
A magnificent oak with a lit up Christmas tree in the distance.
December 20, 2024 at 5:52 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
The natural order of things has been restored.
The big screen at Euston showing the departure board, not adverts.
December 14, 2024 at 8:37 AM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
Fair point — I should have said that he had apparently not been officially offered the role (or accepted it).

But, interestingly, it is now being reported that nobody will do the role.
@christiancalgie on Twitter: "NEW: Kemi Badenoch is not appointing a deputy party leader, despite it being reported it could go to Ben Houchen - or indeed, I was wondering, Tom Tugendhat. // Instead she will pick a member of the shadow cabinet depending on the question topics to take on Angela Rayner at DPMQs"
November 5, 2024 at 9:53 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
Apparently he has not been appointed yet...
@christiancalgie on Twitter: "I’m told the Sunday Times report that Kemi Badenoch has offered Ben Houchen deputy leadership of the party is untrue, insofar as no jobs have been offered at this stage. // Doesn’t mean it’s an offer that won’t be made in the coming hours. // Would be an interesting one"
November 3, 2024 at 7:51 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
Kent Brockman saying "Despite its name, the so-called heat death would actually be slow and cold.", a line from the BBC News article.
November 1, 2024 at 1:26 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
I love this so much.
Underpinning Cambon's exalted sense of self was the belief — shared by many of the senior ambassadors — that one did not merely represent France, one personified it. Though he was ambassador in London from 1898 until 1920, Cambon spoke not a word of English. During his meetings with Edward Grey (who spoke no French), he insisted that every utterance be translated into French, including easily recognized words such as 'yes'. He firmly believed — like many members of the French elite — that French was the only language capable of articulating rational thought and he objected to the foundation of French schools in Britain on the eccentric grounds that French people raised in Britain tended to end up mentally retarded.
October 25, 2024 at 4:40 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
Ah, I missed this before (this is not new; I think that it has been online since August).

GOV.UK has an explanation of what specifically having the title of Deputy Prime Minister means!
Responsibilities Deputises for the Prime Minister, including: • On House of Commons business and at Prime Minister’s Questions • Domestically, including official events at which the PM is unable to attend, and chairing meetings or committees in his absence • Internationally, at diplomatic events where the PM is unable to attend, and generally acting in support of the Government’s international agenda. Supports the Prime Minister on government policy and delivery, and in any other responsibility agreed. Special responsibility for employment rights and Making Work Pay, including: • Chair of the Cabinet Committee on the Future of Work, ensuring cross-government delivery of the ‘New Deal for Working People’ Cross-governmental coordination of communities policy, including: • Taskforce on community cohesion
October 23, 2024 at 4:16 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country?
Aurora Borealis.
October 10, 2024 at 9:54 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
An interesting detail in The Times this evening.

Under the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975, of opposition MPs, only the Leader of the Opposition, Chief Opposition Whip and two Assistant Opposition Whips are afforded salaries. Is it time to rethink that?
Jenrick believes he remains the frontrunner. Following his speech he went straight to his car to begin making calls to MPs. There are claims his allies are floating the idea of paid shadow cabinet roles, funded by a donor. While the campaign has not ruled out the approach, Jenrick's priority is said to be repairing the Conservative Party's parlous finances.
October 4, 2024 at 10:45 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
As if LinkedIn could not get any worse, it appears at some point to have TikTokified...
A screenshot of the 'Video' tab on LinkedIn.
October 4, 2024 at 10:58 AM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
OH, DEAR GOD, NO!
A screenshot from the Daily Mail article with an arrow pointing to "MOE'S BAR".
September 23, 2024 at 1:03 PM
rowaninlondon.bsky.social
A very close shave in the Foreign Affairs Committee Chair election!
A screenshot of the result sheet for the Foreign Affairs Committee Chair election. Dan Carden got 281 votes, while Emily Thornberry got 289 votes.
September 12, 2024 at 10:03 AM