Theme: Government & Parliament | Content Type: Journal article

Shrinking the United Kingdom: Rebranding the Realm after the Secession of the Irish Free State

David Torrance

Jan Gemerle ireland

Jan Gemerle

| 1 min read

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a century old, but while the secession of (much of) Ireland in the early 1920s has received substantial historical attention, its impact on the UK has been largely ignored. This article considers how the ‘official mind’ approached the issue of nomenclature before and after 6 December 1922, the point at which the Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland) came into existence. Through analysis of archival documents and public discourse, it is shown that discussion initially focussed on the King's style and titles before being extended to how the UK Parliament at Westminster was described. The influence of the Free State in these discussions is considered, as is the primary legislation which finally altered the royal and parliamentary titles in 1927.

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    David Torrance

    David Torrance is a constitutional specialist at the House of Commons Library. Before that, he was a freelance journalist and broadcaster. He is the author of more than a dozen books on Scottish and UK political history.

    Articles by David Torrance
Volume 97,  Issue 1

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Volume 97, Issue 1

Contains a collection on the politics and policy of housing, edited by Christine Whitehead, Colm Murphy and Deborah Mabbett. This collection features contributors from geography, economics and politics, and from universities, think tanks, and independent academics. Contributors debate the roots of the housing crisis and illuminate housing policy dilemmas in the UK and elsewhere. Other articles in the issue include 'What Will it Take for a Woman to Become President of the United States?' by Rosie Campbell and Joni Lovenduski, and 'Unity and Division in the Public's Policy Preferences After the 2024 General Election' by Lotte Hargrave. In our Reports section, Darcy Luke and Nathan Critch explain what's wrong with Demos's report 'The Human Handbrake'. Finally, book reviews include Tim Bale's analysis of Conservatism, Christian Democracy, and the Dynamics of Transformation, edited by Gary Love and Christian Egander Skov.

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