Parliamentary Law and Institutional Crisis in the United Kingdom During Brexit

Abstract

Abstract The British parliamentary system is generally praised for its longevity and stability. However, the flaws of British democracy were highlighted following the referendum of June 2016. This withdrawal was not only an earthquake for the European project, it was also the source of unprecedented constitutional controversies in the UK itself. In particular, it raised a series of questions about the respective competences of national institutions and local institutions in the field of European affairs and, more broadly, in foreign affairs. Since the British Constitution is not a written one, the rules for the distribution of competences in these areas are essentially the result of practice. The UK’s parliamentary regime, that was in the process of collapsing in September 2019 appears, against all odds, to have recovered following the early elections of 12 December 2019. The result of those elections has apparently provided a way out of the crisis, although it is unclear whether it will be temporary or not.