Anthony Barnett (London, OK): BREAKING NEWS Jack Straw leader of the House of Commons and Gordon Brown's campaign manager has come out for a written constitution. "I have changed my mind" he told us at the Smith Institute seminar this morning (see note below). It was filled with whitehall suits (and very few skirts) most of whom seemed unable to absorb what he said. Straw pointed out that Labour's reforms over ten years had written down parts of the constitution. Now filling in the dots is "something we have to do". Pam Giddy of the Power Inquiry challenged him and argued that what matters most is connecting any such process with the people through a popular convention. The idea of a convention, Straw responded "was really rather exciting". In his brief conclusion he said he was now convinced a written constitution was needed to ensure good citizenship. Can you trust him? Robert Hazell of the Constitution Unit, acting like a mandarin without a department, assured the room that a written constitution is "no panacea" (personally I have never met anyone who thought it was) and that "I am one of the realists who think we will never get one". That was the voice of the old establishment. But it seems that Gordon Brown has decided differently. You read it here first.
Please spread the news.
Comments
Jake Anders (Salisbury): I should emphasise that on balance I believe a written constitution would be a step forward, but only if well written, fully integrating the flexibility we must have as a country. If we were to emulate the US, as many recent Labour initiatives have done, then it would not be. I am hopeful that Gordon Brown will be different to Tony Blair in that respect.
Al Loomis (Sydney)wonder if trying to write down "smoke and mirrors" is such a good idea....
A nation that is in the habit of characterizing parliamentary rule as 'democracy' is going to experience some kind of culture shock when they make a comparison of their 'democracy' and switzerland's. Professional politicians in particular might wish to revert to their traditional policy of not startling the horses, lest the horses wonder why they are carrying the politicians.
Roger Smith (London - Justice) The value of a written constitution is well demonstrated by the work of Professor Bogdanor's students in drafting one to reflect current circumstances. This is published as an appendix to the Smith Institute Book 'Towards a Constitutional Settlement' which was launched at the conference where Jack Straw spoke. The draft provides a comprehensive and comprehensible picture of the distribution of power in the UK. The demand for a written constitution may provide the necessary momentum for reform in a number of key areas that are crying out for it. After all, there is not much point in a written constitution which does not settle the position on such tricky issues as the House of Lords and devolution, at least for a generation. We may end up with a series of mini-constitutions or memoranda on separate issues, such as the one negotiated by Lord Woolf on the relationship between the judiciary and the executive. These won't, as Robert Hazell rightly says, solve everything, and they may not be complete - at least for some time. But they might help us update a constitution where the powers of the feudal Crown can still be traced and where our form of Parliamentary democracy is vulnerable to the charge of morphing into elective dictatorship.
[...] to Open Democracy Our Kingdom Jack Straw leader of the House of Commons and Gordon Brown’s campaign manager has come out for a [...]
Rob Hopcott (London, ipg): Let's have included in any written constitution the right by the public to have a direct say in their own government through e-democracy.
Official Downing Street discussion forums where the public could use their collective intelligence to genuinely solve the big issues of today, including any written constitution, are technically simple and long overdue.
Unfortunately, it is likely that the Government's idea of a written constitution is just another opportunity to tell us how the Government thinks we should behave. In other words, obligations not rights.
Let's get tough on the causes of bad government which, in most cases, is all about not listening to the people.
Jake Anders (Salisbury): The suggestion is that a written constitution will encourage good citizenship at a time when the country as a whole is going through a debate as to what it actually means to be British. Moreover, if written well it will help enshrine many civil liberties that are being eroded in the present political climate. The right to trial by jury and habeas corpus have been threatened and in some cases removed in recent years. Putting them in a constitution would afford some protection to stop this happening, though a constitution can always be changed.
However, the biggest problem with a written constitution in my view is that what it means to be British is constantly changing. This is why we are debating what it means to be British, it’s clearly not the same as it was during the 19th Century. So fixing us with today’s values and systems would make the UK less dynamic, flexible and able to change when it will need to.
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However, the biggest problem with a written constitution in my view is that what it means to be British is constantly changing.
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