Standards bodies and regulators and Morgan McSweeney to give evidence on constitutional safeguards

Tomorrow, the House of Lords Constitution Committee will be speaking with two panels of witnesses as it continues its inquiry into the UK's constitutional safeguards. 

Giving evidence at 10:30am will be:

• Doug Chalmers, Chair, Ethics and Integrity Commission  

• Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston, First Civil Service Commissioner  

• Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive, Electoral Commission  

• John Pullinger, Chair, Electoral Commission 

Themes the session will cover include: 

• What role these organisations play in protecting the UK's constitutional democracy and how effectively they do so; 

• How important it is for the organisations to be independent from government and what safeguards underpin independence from government; 

• The extent to which these, and similar, organisations are vulnerable to government and political interference; 

• The effectiveness of the UK standards system at encouraging and enforcing high ethical standards across public life; 

• The importance of an impartial civil service to the UK's constitutional democracy. 

Giving evidence at 12:00pm will be: 

• Morgan McSweeney, former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer 

Themes the session will cover include: 

• Whether the UK's constitutional democracy is under threat and any changes that need to be made to the UK's constitution; 

• Whether there is anything that would be able to stop a Prime Minister determined to undermine the constitution; 

• How far the UK's constitutional democracy depends on people in positions of power exercising self-restraint and choosing to abide by conventions; 

• The role of the No. 10 Chief of Staff; 

• Constitutional implications as part of the decision-making process in Downing Street. 

The sessions will take place on Wednesday 11 November and can be followed live on Parliament TV.