Publications and Impact
Project EVEL has produced widely-read authoritative commentary and analysis of the English Votes for English Laws procedures. This has included our influential report, Finding the Good in EVEL, as well as blog posts and evidence to parliamentary select committees.
Our findings have been widely cited and reported on, including on the floor of the House of Commons, in the national media, and in Erskine May (the authoritative guide to parliamentary procedure and practice). They have also informed the recommendations of parliamentary select committees and the outcome of the UK government’s own review of the EVEL procedures.
Publications
Report
- Finding the Good in EVEL: An Evaluation of ‘English Votes for English Laws’ in the House of Commons, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny (November 2016)
Academic publications
- ‘Answering the West Lothian Question? A Critical Assessment of “English Votes for English Laws” in the UK Parliament‘, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny, Parliamentary Affairs (2018)
- ‘Interpreting EVEL: Latest Station in the Conservative Party’s English Journey?‘, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny. In Governing England: English Identity and Institutions in a Changing United Kingdom, edited by Michael Kenny, Iain McLean and Akash Paun (2018)
Blog articles
- ‘Why is the government planning to scrap English Votes for English Laws?‘, by Michael Kenny, New Statesman (July 2021).
- ‘Deliver us from EVEL? Is the government right to abolish “English Votes for English Laws”?‘, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny, Constitution Unit blog (June 2021); also in revised form on the UK in a Changing Europe blog.
- ‘Five years of EVEL‘, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny, Constitution Unit blog (October 2020)
- ‘Labour’s unavoidable English Question‘, by Michael Kenny, Project EVEL blog (September 2017)
- ‘EVEL won’t worry the new government – but the West Lothian question may well do‘, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny, Constitution Unit blog (June 2017)
- ‘The government’s “English votes for English laws” review: an assessment‘, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny, Constitution Unit blog (April 2017)
- ‘One year of EVEL: Evaluating “English Votes for English Laws” in the House of Commons‘, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny, Centre on Constitutional Change blog (November 2016)
- ‘Sunday trading and the limits of EVEL‘, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny, Constitution Unit blog (March 2016)
- ‘Managing England’s unions: the Conservatives’ challenge‘, by Michael Kenny, The UK in a Changing Europe (December 2015)
- ‘The triumph of EVEL: what next for the English Question?‘, by Michael Kenny and Daniel Gover, Constitution Unit blog (October 2015)
- ‘Labour is on the wrong side of the argument as far as English votes for English laws are concerned‘, by Michael Kenny, New Statesman (July 2015)
- ‘“English Votes for English Laws” – a viable answer to the English Question?‘, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny, Constitution Unit blog (July 2015)
- ‘EVEL may help set the course for Cameron’s time in office‘, by Michael Kenny and Daniel Gover, Mile End Institute blog (July 2015)
- ‘Ukip didn’t invent English nationalism – it’s been brewing for years‘, by Michael Kenny, The Conversation (May 2015)
Evidence to parliamentary committees
Supplementary written evidence by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the (Commons) Procedure Committee’s inquiry into ‘The procedure of the House of Commons and the territorial constitution’ (August 2021)- Written evidence submitted by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the Constitution Committee’s inquiry into ‘Future Governance of the UK’ (April 2021)
- Written evidence submitted by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry into The Evolution of Devolution: English Devolution (November 2020)
- Written evidence submitted by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the (Commons) Procedure Committee’s inquiry into ‘The procedure of the House of Commons and the territorial constitution’ (October 2020)
- Transcript of oral evidence given by Michael Kenny to the Public Administration and Constitution Affairs Committee’s inquiry into ‘The Evolution of Devolution: English Devolution’ (October 2020)
- Written evidence submitted by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the Constitution Committee’s inquiry into the ‘Legislative Process’ (April 2018)
- Transcript of oral evidence given by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the (Commons) Procedure Committee’s inquiry, ‘English Votes for English Laws Standing Orders’ (Video of evidence session also available.) (September 2016)
- Transcript of oral evidence given by Daniel Gover to the Scottish Affairs Committee’s inquiry, ‘English Votes for English Laws re-examined’ (Video of evidence session also available.) (July 2016)
- Transcript of oral evidence given by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the Constitution Committee’s inquiry, ‘English Votes for English Laws’ (Video of evidence session also available.) (June 2016)
- Written evidence submitted by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the (Commons) Procedure Committee’s inquiry, ‘English Votes for English Laws Standing Orders’ (April 2016)
- Written evidence submitted by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry, ‘English Votes for English Laws and the Future of the Union’ (September 2015)
- Written evidence submitted by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the Constitution Committee’s inquiry, ‘The Union and Devolution’ (October 2015)
- Written evidence submitted by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny to the APPG for Reform, Decentralisation and Devolution in the UK’s inquiry, ‘Better Devolution for the Whole UK’ (September 2015)
Public presentations
- Presentation at launch of ‘Finding the Good in EVEL’ report, by Daniel Gover and Michael Kenny, Houses of Parliament, London (November 2016)
- ‘Can the UK answer its English and Scottish questions?‘, by Michael Kenny and Daniel Gover, Institut d’Estudis de l’Autogovern, Barcelona (April 2016)
Impact
Our research has been cited in the following places.
Media
- ‘Will England ever get its own Parliament?‘, BBC News (7 June 2018)
- ‘Betrayal of the English: Scottish MPs still rule England after Cameron “sold voters a pup”‘, The Express (2 December 2016)
- ‘England-only voting system “changes little”’, The Times (28 November 2016)
- ‘Further reforms are needed to strengthen the powers of English MPs, says study’, The Telegraph (28 November 2016)
- ‘The Guardian view on English devolution: a lack of cross-party legitimacy‘ (Editorial), The Guardian (28 November 2016)
- ‘Cross-party reform of Evel “needed before possible Brexit-related crisis”’, The Herald (28 November 2016)
- ‘“It has diminished Scottish influence” Now SNP MPs call for right to vote on English laws’, The Express (28 November 2016)
- ‘Call for reform to boost English MPs’ influence in Parliament’, The Scotsman (28 November 2016)
- ‘Major report finds English votes for English laws has failed in a key objective’, WalesOnline (28 November 2016)
- ‘English MPs need their influence built up with new reforms, says study‘, Aberdeen Evening Express (28 November 2016)
- ‘Politicians are furious at claims senior Tories are briefing Stephen Crabb can’t become PM because he’s a Welsh MP’, Wales Online (2 July 2016)
- ‘Evel row as Tories accused of giving up on the Union’, The Herald (2 July 2015)
Parliamentary select committee reports
- Procedure Committee (Commons), English votes for English laws Standing Orders: report of the Committee’s technical evaluation, 3rd report of 2016-17 (HC 189) (December 2016)
- Constitution Committee, English votes for English laws, 6th report of 2016-17 (HL 61) (November 2016)
- Constitution Committee, The Union and devolution, 10th report of 2015-16 (HL 149) (May 2016)
- Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, The Future of the Union, part one: English Votes for English laws, 5th report of 2015-16 (HC 523) (January 2016)
Erskine May
Parliamentary Library briefing papers
- ‘Constitutional Issues and the Case for a UK-wide Constitutional Convention‘, Lords Library briefing LLN-2018-0138 (December 2018)
- ‘English votes for English laws‘, Richard Kelly, Commons Library briefing paper CBP-7339 (June 2017)
Parliamentary debates
House of Lords Hansard, 13 December 2018, column 1407- House of Commons Hansard, 7 March 2017, column 745
- House of Commons Hansard, 1 December 2016, column 1674
- House of Commons Hansard, 28 November 2016, columns 1361-62
