British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has expressed his support for the adoption of a written constitution in the United Kingdom, which currently lacks a singular normative text unlike most other nations, according to reports.
Since taking office two weeks ago, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester has prioritized decentralizing powers to regional authorities.
“Ultimately, I believe this paves the way for a new constitutional agreement,” Burnham stated this weekend regarding his decentralization projects.
Burnham Calls for a New Set of Clear Principles
By calling for “a new set of clear principles regarding how this country should be governed,” the Prime Minister emphasized the necessity of a written constitution, a reform he advocated even before arriving at Downing Street.
“It is abnormal for people to have to defend things that are simply fundamental (…) and the lack of a constitution deprives territories of means to act,” Burnham asserted.
The United Kingdom is governed by a heterogeneous mix of laws, judicial decisions based on common law, and treaties.
The concept of a written constitution is relatively recent in the UK. Former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown (2007-2010), who had Burnham among his ministers, was one of the first to support such reform.
Previous Attempts Lacked Clear Consensus
A parliamentary committee examined various options for codifying the Constitution during a five-year review, concluding in 2015 that there was no clear consensus on the matter.
Any attempt by Andy Burnham to create a constitution would likely require several years of work and extensive public consultation.
On Friday, Burnham announced plans to allow English regional mayors to retain a portion of the taxes collected within their territories, as part of his initiative to transfer powers from the heavily centralized capital.
The United Kingdom—comprising England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—initiated significant constitutional reforms in the late 1990s, leading to the establishment of devolved parliaments in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast.
However, England remains one of the most centralized countries in Europe, despite the creation of several regional councils and other institutions in the past decade, according to experts.
