U.K. needs a written constitution: PM Burnham

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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.

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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.

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“In the end, I think it does start to point towards a new constitutional settlement,” Burnham said of his devolution plans on the weekend.

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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.

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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,” said Burnham.

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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.

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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.

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Burnham served as a minister in Brown’s government.

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A parliamentary committee considered options for codifying the constitution in a five-year review, which concluded in 2015 that there was no clear consensus.

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Any serious attempt to codify the constitution by Burnham would be a years-long process likely requiring a major public inquiry and consultations.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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