Writing down what is?

13 February 2008

Subjects:

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): According to ePolitix Jack Straw is on his way to the USA and...

Justice secretary Jack Straw visits the US, where he delivers a speech on constitutional issues. "We now need to think very carefully about whether a British Bill of Rights and Responsibilities should be a step towards a full written constitution, which would bring us in line with the most progressive democracies around the world," he will say.

ALL progressive democracies have written constitutions, but not countries with written constitutions are progressive democracies. If Straw's aim is, as it seems, to inscribe what we have, the UK will have a very unprogressive constitution indeed. We were the first to break the news that Straw was edging the UK towards a codified constitution. Watch this space.

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