News and opinion

This event explores whether German federalism still offers useful lessons for Scotland and the UK. It will consider how Germany's system of territorial governance has evolved, what challenges it now faces, and how this experience might inform ongoing debates about devolution, democracy, and reform in Scotland and the wider UK.

These letters by David Melding and Glyndwr Cennydd Jones span a period encompassing the recent UK General Election and the beginnings of the second US Trump presidency. Exploring issues of constitutional history and development they make the case for much needed reform of the UK’s governing framework, through sharing views and experiences on models of devolution, federalism and confederalism.

Labour’s unexpected but fragile win, the SNP’s continuing struggles, and Reform UK’s surge in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election signal a fragmented new era in Scottish politics. Has constitutional polarisation ended – and what comes next?

As Reform UK moves beyond its English heartlands and gains ground in Scotland, Davide Vampa draws lessons from Italy’s populist radical right to understand what this shift might mean. He shows how successful populist parties can exploit political fluidity, rebrand across regions, and expand their reach – but also highlights the challenges of uniting diverse territorial interests under a single, coherent message.

For the first time, a populist radical right force has swept away all the other political actors in England, shattering the traditional Conservative-Labour duopoly that has long characterised the UK political system. The implications of this shift, underpinned by unprecedented levels of voter’s choice fragmentation, cannot be underestimated. Read Arianna Giovannini on the causes behind the surge in support for Reform, and what could be done to address them.

A team of academics from the School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh has received the 2025 Jacqui Briggs Prize from the Political Studies Association for outstanding contributions to advancing teaching and learning in political studies, for a course developed in collaboration with the Centre on Constitutional Change.

Davide Vampa analyses the shifting dynamics of Scottish politics in the wake of Reform UK’s rise and its unprecedented success in the 2025 English local elections. He argues that the SNP’s attempt to revive political polarisation – this time by targeting Nigel Farage’s party – may yield short-term gains but carries significant long-term risks. As traditional divides centred on constitutional issues weaken, new forms of populism are beginning to unsettle Scotland’s once-distinct political trajectory.

Prompted by a Constitutional Court decision to suspend the application of a recently adopted law, the National Assembly of Republika Srpska – one of the two Entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) – initiated the drafting of a new constitution. The move has sparked considerable debate, particularly due to concerns over the constitutionality of several controversial provisions. The draft has emerged amidst escalating tensions between the RS leadership and BiH’s state institutions, a dynamic that increasingly challenges state-level authority as well as the Office of the High Representative.

Following today's release of the report ‘The Shameful Conquest of England’, read Ailsa Henderson's accompanying blog piece exploring the attitudes of the English to their neighbours in the UK, the mechanics of the Union, the UK’s relationship to the EU, and the governance of their own nation.