UK Constitution is not codified, not held in a single document.
UK Constitution is held in numerous sources; authoritative works, statute law, common law, conventions.
However; some argue a weakness - not easy for citizens to access and understand their rights.
Lack of entrenchment in the UK Constitution
Not possible to entrench laws in the UK because Parliament in sovereign.
Parliaments cannot bind their successors.
De facto control of sovereignty by a majority government ensures that in effect; the government controls the constitution - however this is justified because the government was elected by the people.
Proof of lack of entrenchment; Blair passed the Human Rights Act 1998 into law by a simple vote of Parliament.
However; voters give the government a mandate to make constitutional change, if they disapprove of new changes = vote out.
Example of Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 for unentrenchment
Coalition government introduced the Law to ensure the strength of the coalition; each Parliament would last 5 years.
However, under Boris Johnson - the Fixed Term Parliaments Act 2011 was repealed and power to call an election returned to the PM.
Demonstrates weakness of unentrenched laws.
However; 2010s were an era of political deadlock - arguable that this strengthens the constitution by giving the PM (who has a mandate) the power to call elections.
Referendums in the UK Constitution
From 1997-2016 it was common to use referendums to give legislation changes more legitimacy; this includes the devolution referendums and Brexit.
If governments make constitutional reform against the will of the referendum; they are seen as being against the people.
However; recent years have seen referendums lose their importance, being seen as divisive and threatening parliamentary sovereignty and representative democracy - such as the rejection of a Second Referendum.
Sovereignty in the UK Constitution
In the UK, Parliament is sovereign.
However; there are times when this is not arguably the case - if there is a majority government, it can be argued that sovereignty lies with the government.
During General Elections; it can be argued that sovereignty lies with the electorate.
During minority governments, it can be argued that sovereignty truly lies with Parliament again.