U.K. needs a written constitution: PM Burnham
- New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham supports establishing a written constitution for the U.K., which currently lacks a single authoritative constitutional document.
- Burnham is focusing on devolving power to regional authorities, including plans for regional mayors to retain a share of local taxes, aiming to reduce centralization in England.
- He believes a written constitution would provide a clear set of principles for governance and empower local regions, addressing fundamental issues currently hindered by the absence of codification.
- While previous efforts, including a 2015 parliamentary review, found no consensus on codification, Burnham acknowledges that implementing a written constitution would be a lengthy process involving extensive public consultation.
Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled his support for a written constitution for the U.K., which, unlike most countries, does not have one authoritative document.
Since entering office just two weeks ago, the former mayor of Greater Manchester has made devolution of power to regional authorities a focus of his administration.
“In the end, I think it does start to point towards a new constitutional settlement,” Burnham said of his devolution plans on the weekend.
Calling for a “new clear set of principles about how this country should be run,” Burnham said there was a need for a written constitution — something he has called for before he was prime minister.
“It’s wrong that people are left arguing for things that are just fundamental… and the lack of a constitution disempowers places in that situation,” said Burnham.
Unlike most countries around the world, Britain does not have a written constitution, and is instead governed by a patchwork of statutes, common law judgments, and treaties.
The push for a written constitution is fairly recent, with Labour’s Gordon Brown, who was prime minister from 2007 to 2010, an early proponent of the overhaul.
Burnham served as a minister in Brown’s government.
A parliamentary committee considered options for codifying the constitution in a five-year review, which concluded in 2015 that there was no clear consensus.
Any serious attempt to codify the constitution by Burnham would be a years-long process likely requiring a major public inquiry and consultations.
Burnham on Friday announced plans to allow regional mayors in England to keep a share of taxes collected in their area, part of his drive to transfer power out of the highly centralized nation’s capital.
The U.K.— comprising England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — saw significant constitutional reforms in the late 1990s that created devolved parliaments in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
But England itself remains one of Europe’s most centralized nations, despite the creation of some regional mayors and other bodies in the last decade, experts say.