Category Archives: Confidence Convention

The Cabinet Manual and Votes of Confidence under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act

Posted on 2017/06/12 by J.W.J. Bowden

The Cabinet Manual As Explanatory Guide The Cabinet Manual: A Guide to Laws, Conventions, and Rules on the Operation of Government has proven its worth, both within Whitehall and amongst the wider British public. On 9 June, once the results … Continue reading →

Posted in Confidence Convention, Confirmation Voting, Constructive Non-Confidence, Fixed-Date Elections | 5 Comments

On Collective Ministerial Responsibility and Impeachment

Posted on 2017/01/04 by J.W.J. Bowden

Introduction: Ian Brodie’s Article in The Dorchester Review Ian Brodie, one of Stephen Harper’s former chiefs of staff who served him both as Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and as Prime Minister, contributed an interesting article to the most recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles and Books, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Dorchester Review, History of British North America, Individual vs Collective Ministerial Responsibility, Parliament, Parliamentary Privilege, Responsible Government, Reviews, Separation of Powers | 6 Comments

How the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act Complicates Brexit and An Early General Election

Posted on 2016/06/27 by J.W.J. Bowden

Fixed-Term Parliaments Act Introduction Various British MPs like Jacob Rees-Mogg and journalists like Peter Hitchens have called for an early general election in the wake of Leave’s victory in the Brexit referendum and Prime Minister Cameron’s announcement that he will … Continue reading →

Posted in Comparative, Confidence Convention, Confirmation Voting, Constitutional Conventions, Constructive Non-Confidence, Crown (Powers and Office), Dissolution, Fixed-Date Elections, Reform | Leave a comment

Discussion on Government Formation at the University of Ottawa

Posted on 2016/01/27 by J.W.J. Bowden

Overall Impressions on the Discussion I thank my friend Phil Lagassé for having invited me to speak on government formation and the caretaker convention to his seminar on parliamentary government and parliamentary reform on 25 January 2015. I’ve uploaded my … Continue reading →

Posted in Appointment of PM, Caretaker Convention & Government Formation, Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Crown (Powers and Office), Succession (Prime Minister) | 1 Comment

Premier Wynne Adopts Prime Minister Harper’s Tactics on Early Dissolution: Will the Media and Scholars Now Vilify Her Accordingly?

Posted on 2013/09/10 by J.W.J. Bowden

Harper Showed the Futility and Uselessness of Canadian-Style Fixed-Election Laws in 2008 As the CBC reported in late August 2008, Prime Minister Harper described the 39th Parliament as “dysfunctional”; in other words, he had judged that his minority government would … Continue reading →

Posted in Confidence Convention, Constitutional Conventions, Fixed-Date Elections, Reform | 3 Comments