Parliament isn’t sovereign

• Many of the powers returning to the UK will not be subject to parliamentary jurisdiction but instead be wielded by government ministers in the form of secondary legislation
• Political sovereignty

  Rests with the governing party, the cabinet and the prime minister
• Fusion of powers


  • Allows the government to sit in Parliament and to control the agenda
• Decision to comply with requests to 'extend Article 50'


  • Rested with the prime minister and cabinet, despite Parliament's approval of the Article 50 process
• Popular sovereignty

  Has challenged parliamentary sovereignty
• Outcome of the EU referendum in 2016

  • Served as an instruction to Parliament to deliver on Brexit
• Parliamentary sovereignty

  Has been effectively devolved to newly created institutions such as the Scottish Parliament
• Sewel Convention


  • Implies that the devolved bodies should be asked for their consent to laws passed by Parliament that are considered to be under the jurisdiction of the devolved administrations