Over the last 40 years, a number of liberal democracies have sought to use constitutional reform to re-imagine not just the state, but also the nation. Why? And with what effect? This seminar will consider this phenomenon with reference to examples from Australia, Canada, the UK and the US.

Andrew McDonald is the chair of the UK disability charity, Scope. He writes on public policy; history; and illness and disability. He spent 28 years in the UK civil service, working across government. From 2003-05 he ran the radical constitutional reform programme of the Labour administration. His final executive role was to establish and run the regulator of parliamentary expenses, pay and pensions, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (2009-14). He has degrees from Oxford and Bristol and has held fellowships at Nuffield College, Oxford, at the ANU and at the University of California, Berkeley.

* Please note room change. This event will now be held in China in the World, Building # 188 Seminar Room B