Annotation:
This course seeks to explore the impact of the 2016 referendum's decision to leave the EU, along with the elections of 2017, 2019 and 2024, on British politics and political culture, constitution, and party system, and on the relations among the four parts of the United Kingdom.. There is a special focus on the non-English parts of the UK: Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Brexit is putting immense strain on the uncodified British constitution, as evidenced by the triumph and collapse of Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party, and the reluctance of the new Labour government to re-engage with Europe. The tensions introduced by Brexit will be related to constitutional and institutional structures of British politics, including the legislature and the judiciary, the electoral system and the party system. The immediate implications are discussed in real time.
Aims of the Course:
Upon completing the course, students will be able to analyse and explain both the result of the 2016 referendum, the subsequent difficulties, and the impact of the subsequent elections on current political events in the UK, with a special focus on the possibility of Scottish independence and/or Irish unification. These will be closely integrated into constitutional and institutional problems, including the notion of “parliamentary sovereignty” as a constitutional principle, empowerment of the judicial system, potential consequences for the electoral system, and possible de-alignment of the two main political parties.
Instructors:
Professor Iain McLean and Dr Scot Peterson, Department of Politics & International Relations, Oxford University. Course coordinator at Charles University, to whom all queries concerning the organisation of this course should be directed, is Dr Jan Váška (jan.vaska@fsv.cuni.cz).
This course seeks to explore the impact of the 2016 referendum's decision to leave the EU, along with the elections of 2017, 2019 and 2024, on British politics and political culture, constitution, and party system, and on the relations among the four parts of the United Kingdom.. There is a special focus on the non-English parts of the UK: Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Brexit is putting immense strain on the uncodified British constitution, as evidenced by the triumph and collapse of Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party, and the reluctance of the new Labour government to re-engage with Europe. The tensions introduced by Brexit will be related to constitutional and institutional structures of British politics, including the legislature and the judiciary, the electoral system and the party system. The immediate implications are discussed in real time.
Aims of the Course:
Upon completing the course, students will be able to analyse and explain both the result of the 2016 referendum, the subsequent difficulties, and the impact of the subsequent elections on current political events in the UK, with a special focus on the possibility of Scottish independence and/or Irish unification. These will be closely integrated into constitutional and institutional problems, including the notion of “parliamentary sovereignty” as a constitutional principle, empowerment of the judicial system, potential consequences for the electoral system, and possible de-alignment of the two main political parties.
Instructors:
Professor Iain McLean and Dr Scot Peterson, Department of Politics & International Relations, Oxford University. Course coordinator at Charles University, to whom all queries concerning the organisation of this course should be directed, is Dr Jan Váška (jan.vaska@fsv.cuni.cz).
- Teacher: Jan Váška