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Burnham backs written constitution
Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham signalled support for a written constitution for the United Kingdom, saying the country “does not have one authoritative document.”
“does not have one authoritative text.”
Burnham, who took office just two weeks ago, linked the push to his devolution plans and said, “In the end, I think it does start to point towards a new constitutional settlement.”
The National Post described Britain as governed by “a patchwork of statutes, common law judgments, and treaties,” rather than a single authoritative text.
AFP reporting cited by France 24 said Burnham prioritised decentralizing power to regional authorities, and called for “a new set of clear principles on how this country should be run.”
Devolution and constitutional debate
Burnham’s argument tied constitutional change to how power is shared, with HuffPost UK saying his devolution plans “increase the case for a constitution because Britain is changing through this.”
The Independent reported Burnham said his proposals would change Britain and pointed to a “new constitutional settlement,” adding that he was writing about “equivalent living standards.”
France 24 said the UK is governed by “a heterogeneous body of laws, court decisions based on common law, and treaties,” and noted the idea of a written constitution is relatively recent.
The Straits Times reported Burnham called for a “new clear set of principles about how this country should be run,” and said he had been advocating for a written constitution before becoming prime minister.
Process, timeline, and stakes
France 24 said any attempt to codify the constitution led by Andy Burnham would likely require “several years of work, as well as a broad public inquiry and consultations.”
“several years of work, as well as a broad public inquiry and consultations.”
It also cited a parliamentary commission’s five-year review, concluding in 2015 that there was “no clear consensus on the issue.”
Burnham’s devolution agenda included plans announced on Friday to allow English regional mayors to keep part of the taxes collected in their territory, as part of transferring powers from the capital of a highly centralized country, according to France 24.
The National Post said Burnham’s devolution focus came as he made power-sharing a priority since entering office “just two weeks ago,” and quoted him saying, “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.”
