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Robert Hazell

Professor of British Politics and Government & Director of the Constitution Unit, UCL
Robert's research interests cover the whole of the constitutional reform agenda. He has written widely on devolution in Scotland, Wales and the English regions; freedom of information; parliamentary reform and Lords reform; a British bill of rights; referendums; electoral reform; the Crown and royal prerogative; constitutional watchdogs; and the process of constitutional reform. He is a great believer in collaborative research and likes to build research teams around projects, and to write multi-authored books rather than monographs.

He was director of the 1999-2005 Leverhulme funded research programme into the Dynamics of Devolution, which had 12 projects and 25 partners. He continued with some of the same partners to direct an ESRC and government funded project monitoring the latest developments in devolution (2006-2008). His last collaborative venture with 20 partners was forecasting the shape of the constitution in 2020, published as Constitutional Futures Revisited. Following the introduction of freedom of information in 2005, he studied the impact of Freedom of Information on Whitehall (ESRC 2007-2009), and on local government (ESRC 2009-2011), and on Parliament (Leverhulme 2009-2011).

In anticipation of the 2010 election, Robert led a project in 2009 on Multi-Party Government, and then a study of the new coalition government (2011), and of Special Advisers (2012). From 2011 to 2014 he led a big collaborative research project into the Politics of Judicial Independence. His latest research projects involve work on the Monarchy (the Accession and Coronation oaths, and a comparative study of European monarchies); on Pre-Appointment Scrutiny hearings by departmental Select Committees; and the role of Non-Executive Directors on Whitehall boards.

Coronavirus: how Europe's monarchs stepped up as their nations faced the crisis

Apr 13, 2020 15:26 pm UTC| Politics

The British Queens address to the nation on Sunday, April 5 evoked huge interest, respect and widespread appreciation. Nearly 24 million people in the UK watched her deliver the four-minute speech, which paid tribute to...

Boris Johnson in hospital: constitutional expert on what this means for governance of the UK

Apr 08, 2020 12:43 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Since Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, was diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to an intensive care unit, the airwaves have been full of speculation about how government is being conducted in his...

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: why half in, half out just isn't an option for royals

Jan 14, 2020 00:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Entertainment

Prince Harry and Meghan Markles decision to step back from royal duties has been described as a crisis for the monarchy, but they are the ones who are most likely to suffer the damage. Members of the royal family are in...

Economy

Canada Stocks Steady as Markets Await Fed and BoC Decisions

Canadas main stock index opened the week trading mostly flat, stabilizing after Fridays pullback as investors shift focus to major central bank decisions. The SP/TSX Composite Index slipped 0.5% in the previous session,...

ECB Signals Steady Rates Ahead as Policymakers Warn of Inflation Risks

The European Central Bank is expected to keep interest rates unchanged for several more months, with Slovak policymaker Peter Kazimir emphasizing growing concerns about upside inflation risks. In an interview with Reuters,...

Gold Prices Inch Higher as Fed Rate-Cut Expectations Strengthen

Gold prices ticked upward in Asian trading on Monday as the U.S. dollar hovered near a five-week low, reflecting growing market confidence that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this week. Spot gold rose 0.3% to...

UK Job Market Shows Persistent Weakness Ahead of November Budget

Britains labour market continued to soften in the lead-up to Finance Minister Rachel Reeves November 26 budget, as employers held back on hiring amid uncertainty over potential tax increases. A new report from KPMG and the...

Ru and Ready: India-Russia Summit Sets the Stage for a Multi-Billion Dollar Strategic Shift

India and Russia used their December 2025 meeting to establish a multifaceted collaboration intended to reach USD 100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, with obvious emphasis on right Indias significant trade deficit. By...

Politics

Supreme Court to Weigh Trump’s Power to Remove FTC Commissioner

The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to take up a major separation-of-powers case examining whether former President Donald Trump acted lawfully when he attempted to fire Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Rebecca...

Japan–China Tensions Rise as Chinese Carrier Intensifies Air Operations Near Okinawa

Tensions between Japan and China escalated over the weekend after a Chinese carrier strike group carried out a surge of air operations near Japans southwestern island chain. The activity comes at a sensitive diplomatic...

Syria Marks First Anniversary of Assad’s Overthrow Amid Ongoing Challenges

Syrians are preparing to commemorate the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assads fall, a major turning point that ended decades of family rule and signaled hopes for a new political era. Events are scheduled across the...

Thailand Launches Air Strikes as Border Clashes With Cambodia Intensify

Thailand has launched air strikes along its disputed border with Cambodia after both nations accused each other of violating a fragile ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. The renewed conflict erupted in...

Trump Signals He May Influence Netflix–Warner Bros Merger Decision

U.S. President Donald Trump indicated on Sunday that he expects to play a direct role in determining whether the proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Brothers will move forward, raising new questions about regulatory...

Science

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Trump and Merck KGaA Partner to Slash IVF Drug Costs and Expand Fertility Coverage

U.S. President Donald Trump and German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA have announced a groundbreaking deal aimed at lowering the cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments while boosting access to fertility care in...

Technology

IBM Nears $11 Billion Deal to Acquire Confluent in Major AI and Data Push

IBM is reportedly in advanced negotiations to acquire Confluent Inc. (NASDAQ: CFLT) in a deal valued at roughly $11 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal. The news sent Confluent shares soaring more than 28% in...

SK Hynix Shares Surge on Hopes for Upcoming ADR Issuance

SK Hynix shares rallied sharply on Monday, climbing as much as 6.1% in Seoul trading and marking the companys strongest intraday gain since late November. The sudden surge comes amid growing speculation that the South...

U.S.-EU Tensions Rise After $140 Million Fine on Elon Musk’s X Platform

A growing rift between the United States and Europe deepened after the European Union issued a $140 million fine against Elon Musks social media platform X under the Digital Services Act. The penalty, which EU regulators...

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Denies Reports of $800 Billion Valuation Fundraise

Elon Musk has publicly refuted recent media claims suggesting that SpaceX is seeking to raise new capital at an $800 billion valuation. In a post shared on X, Musk clarified that the reports circulating online were...

Taiwan Opposition Criticizes Plan to Block Chinese App Rednote Over Security Concerns

Taiwans political landscape heated up after the government announced a plan to suspend access to the Chinese social media platform Rednoteknown as Xiaohongshufor one year. The interior ministry said the proposed ban stems...