Andy Burnham pushes for written UK constitution

LONDON: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled support for introducing a written constitution for the UK, saying it is needed to underpin a new constitutional settlement and strengthen devolution of powers.

Just two weeks into office, the former Greater Manchester mayor has made devolving powers to regional authorities a key priority of his government.

"I think it does start to point towards a new constitutional settlement," Burnham said over the weekend, referring to his devolution agenda.


Calling for "a new clear set of principles about how this country should be run", Burnham argued that the absence of a written constitution leaves people debating issues that should be fundamental.

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"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," he said.

Unlike most countries, Britain does not have a single written constitution, relying instead on statutes, common law and constitutional conventions.

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The idea of codifying the constitution gained prominence under former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in whose government Burnham served. A parliamentary review completed in 2015 found no consensus on adopting a written constitution.

Any move to codify the constitution would likely take years and require extensive public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.

Burnham last week announced plans to allow regional mayors in England to retain a share of locally collected taxes as part of efforts to shift power away from Westminster.

While Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have had devolved legislatures since the late 1990s, England remains one of Europe's most centralised countries despite the creation of regional mayoralties over the past decade.