Abstract
Writing almost 25 years ago, the distinguished political scientist Vernon Bogdanor prophetically warned that ‘the constitutional lawyer must also be both historian and political scientist’. In other words, for Bogdanor this tripartite approach to constitutional analysis is absolutely essential for making holistic, well-informed and reliable arguments, descriptions and prescriptions about the British constitution. It is in the spirit of that interdisciplinary conversation that this Festschrift for, arguably, the greatest living expert on Britain's constitution is written, including, as it does, reflections from historians, political scientists and legal scholars. The book covers a range of constitutional issues that have been the subject of much writing and reflection by Bogdanor himself: New Labour's constitutional reforms; constitutional conventions; devolution and Scottish independence; parliamentary sovereignty; and the monarchy. As such, a concluding response from Bogdanor addressing some of the issues raised by the contributors would have been a magnificent conclusion to the book. Some of the chapters worth highlighting include a contribution from Peter Riddell on the general lack of interest shown by voters in constitutional issues; David Feldman's chapter on constitutional conventions; Robert Gordon's reflection on parliamentary sovereignty; and Robert Blackburn's chapter on the evolution of the monarchy. Each of these chapters engages thoughtfully and lucidly with Bogdanor's arguments on the topics over a number of years.
This collection of essays should be enjoyed by anyone who has engaged with the writing of Vernon Bogdanor on the UK constitution. For students, it serves as a helpful commentary on some of Bogdanor's views on the topical constitutional issues in British politics over the past 40 years. For academics, it acts as a highly valuable and highly readable contribution to the scholarly debate about the UK constitution. However, it should not act as a substitute for reading the many and varied reflections of Professor Bogdanor on the UK constitution, and this reviewer would encourage any student to consult that work first before reading the Festschrift to ensure that Bogdanor's writing on this topic is enjoyed for all its richness and academic rigour, irrespective of whether one is likely to agree with him or not.