The substantive representation of sub-state territorial areas in the UK House of Commons
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Politics and International Studies
Abstract
Analysis of roles performed by elected representatives has made an important contribution to
legislative studies (Blomgren and Rozenberg 2012). A major strand within this literature is
concerned with the extent to which representatives act as advocates for territorial units. Electoral
constituencies are the units that have usually been focused on (e.g. Blidook 2013, Fenno 1978,
Norton 1997), but it has been acknowledged that representatives may also seek to act as
advocates for larger sub-state territorial areas such as nations and regions (Andrè, Depauw and
Deschouwer 2016, Wahlke et al. 1962). There has been little empirical work examining territorial
advocacy for units of this type. However, research in this area has the potential to offer many
valuable insights into how members of legislatures view and perform their roles, and could
produce particularly important findings concerning institutional dynamics in multi-level political
systems.
legislative studies (Blomgren and Rozenberg 2012). A major strand within this literature is
concerned with the extent to which representatives act as advocates for territorial units. Electoral
constituencies are the units that have usually been focused on (e.g. Blidook 2013, Fenno 1978,
Norton 1997), but it has been acknowledged that representatives may also seek to act as
advocates for larger sub-state territorial areas such as nations and regions (Andrè, Depauw and
Deschouwer 2016, Wahlke et al. 1962). There has been little empirical work examining territorial
advocacy for units of this type. However, research in this area has the potential to offer many
valuable insights into how members of legislatures view and perform their roles, and could
produce particularly important findings concerning institutional dynamics in multi-level political
systems.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES/P000738/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2027 | |||
| 2112476 | Studentship | ES/P000738/1 | 01/10/2018 | 18/07/2022 | Jack Sheldon |
| Description | It was found that MPs with constituencies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales focus heavily on giving representation to those territorial units in their contributions in the House of Commons. The extent to which this is the case has increased over recent parliamentary terms. Furthermore, these MPs have adapted the way in which they go about 'territorial representation' of this type to the changed institutional context since devolution was introduced in 1999. For instance, they now often seek to give representation to the devolved institutions themselves, for instance through acting as champions and critics of the devolved governments in parliament. There had been no systematic studies of how these territorial areas are represented in the Commons for over 40 years prior to this project. An important gap in research on the Westminster parliament, and on territorial politics in the UK, was therefore addressed. A new study was very much needed given major changes to the constitutional and political environment for MPs with seats outside England over recent decades, given devolution, increased debate about Scottish independence and the consequences of the Brexit referendum. The findings have broader implications for understandings of the UK political system as a whole. One likely consequence of MPs from outside England operating within territorial silos is that these representatives will remain stuck on the periphery of UK parliamentary politics, with little direct involvement in the contest for power at UK level between government and opposition. Together with the reduction in the number of Scottish MPs belonging to the main Britain-wide parties since the SNP's advance in 2015, one likely implication of the increase in territorially-focused MPs is therefore that the UK government and official opposition, and other prominent posts within the Westminster system, become even more dominated by English politicians than was previously the case. That could in turn result in government and parliament paying less attention to the devolved territories, and contribute to fostering the impression that Westminster politics primarily serves English interests. Overall, the findings lend support to the thesis advanced by Awan-Scully (2018), that the contemporary UK is best understood as comprising a number of territorially-contained political sub-systems, with a decreasing sense of an integrated UK (or Britain)-wide level binding these together. This should be of some concern to supporters of the Union, at a time when existential questions about its future are never far from the surface of political and constitutional debate. An innovative theoretical framework for studying representation of territorial units at an intermediate level between constituencies and the state was also developed. This opens up the possibility for a broader research agenda, covering both the UK parliament and other parliament. |
| Exploitation Route | It is intended that the research can open up a new research agenda at the intersection of research specialisms on the UK parliament and on territorial politics. The study can be an important reference point in making the case for those understanding the roles and behaviour of MPs to account for the territorial dimension in UK politics. It can also be an important reference in highlighting the parliamentary dimension to intra-UK institutional relationships, which have previously been overlooked. Various further research questions are opened up, including: Are similar trends found in the behaviour of MPs in other multi-level democracies with contested territorial politics, such as Belgium and Spain? How, and to what extent, are intermediate territorial levels between constituencies and the state in England given representation in the House of Commons? How do the career patterns of MPs with seats in the devolved territories differ from those of MPs with seats in England, for instance in terms of promotion to ministerial office? The findings can also feed into various topical policy debates. For instance, they can provide important empirical evidence for debate about constitutional reform in the UK. The Labour Party supports a move towards 'federalism', and has set up a commission to consider this possibility. Meanwhile, suggestions for a 'Senate of the Nations and Regions' have often been made by those engaged in such debates. These debates could potentially be engaged with through evidence submissions to party and government commissions and to parliamentary inquiries, as well as direct contact with policy-makers and officials. |
| Sectors | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| URL | https://academic.oup.com/pa/advance-article/doi/10.1093/pa/gsab048/6369587?login=false |
| Description | Findings from this research have been disseminated to policy audiences, including a seminar with civil servants from the Cabinet Office, and evidence submissions to parliamentary committees including the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) and House of Lords Constitution Committee. The Lords Constitution Committee evidence was cited in a recent report, 'Respect and Co-ordination: Building a Stronger Union for the 21st Century'. Within academia, a researcher in Spain has got in contact about collaborative work on these themes. Further impacts are anticipated once the project is completed and all findings are published. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2020 |
| Sector | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Citation in House of Lords Constitution Committee report 'Respect and Co-operation: Building a Stronger Union for the 21st century' |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| URL | https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/8562/documents/86664/default/ |
| Description | Blog post - 'What does the election result mean for territorial representation in the House of Commons?' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Blog post for Constitution Unit blog - 'What does the election result mean for territorial representation in the House of Commons' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://constitution-unit.com/2019/12/21/what-does-the-election-result-mean-for-territorial-represen... |