#118 - Michael Reiners - Did England Quietly Disappear? Constitutional Change and the Future of the United Kingdom

Michael Reiners is a writer, lawyer, and architectural historian. Michael is the founder of the Reiners Project, which publishes essays, draft legislation and commentary on English constitutional law and the art and architectural landscape. 

Britain’s constitutional settlement has changed more in the last few decades than most people realise — and the consequences now reach into identity, speech, governance, and the question of who the country is for.

This episode forms part of Thinking Class’ ongoing inquiry: The Question of the West — examining the political, cultural, and civilisational foundations of our common life.

We discuss the “Yookayification” idea, the logic (and risks) of a Great Repeal approach to post-1997 constitutional reforms, and why any serious reform programme would need to confront the reality of the permanent state — the administrative machinery and quasi-independent bodies that can constrain elected power.

Topics we explore:

• England vs Britain vs the UK — what the words actually mean (and how they changed)
• Why “UK” is a very recent political identity
• Identity, citizenship, and why law doesn’t always reflect reality
• “Yookay-ification”, naming, and the politics of place
• Devolution, Human Rights, Equality frameworks — and unintended consequences
• What a serious constitutional “reset” would require (and what could go wrong)
• The “permanent state” problem: how reform attempts get contained or neutralised
• What cultural restoration could look like beyond slogans

Links

• Follow Michael Reiners on X: https://x.com/MCRReiners
• Visit the Reiners Project: https://reiners.org.uk/

About Thinking Class:

Thinking Class is an independent forum for long-form inquiry examining the political, cultural and civilisational questions shaping England, Britain and the West.

Hosted by John Gillam, the show features serious conversations with historians, legal scholars, economists, theologians, politicians, and public intellectuals.

Thinking Class is concerned with discovering long-term patterns over headlines and hot-takes. Expect historically-grounded analysis on matters of national character, institutions, demography, democracy, identity, inheritance, institutional continuity and social change.

New episodes every week.

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube
🎧 Follow on Spotify
📰 Read on Substack
🐦 Follow on X