Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Gordon Brown is expected to make his historic statement on the constitution this afternoon, delayed by a day thanks to the security issues. It is going to set a sweeping agenda of reforms and call for new kinds of non-partisan participation to confront the malaise in public life - a call prepared by his 'all the talents' approach to some of his appointments. No, I have not seen it, but he has said plenty about his intentions. Whatever the details, most important of all he will address the constitution of Britain as a whole.

Peter Facey (London, Unlock Democracy): Jon Bright’s remarks (below) reflect one of the greatest challenges democratic reform in Britain faces: the “if we give them more power they may …” argument. It does not just apply to referendums but to any move to decentralize power in our country. And it shows why the government has tended to devolve power to do specific things, rather than give people and communities general tools or powers that they can use for their own ends.

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): I have just been sent a thoughtful warning for me not to answer my front door: “the new Prime Minister has sounded the death knell for the controversial Barnett formula”. Then I breathed again, it’s from the Scotland on Sunday and it refers to (no-relation) Joel Barnett’s historic arrangements for giving Scotland a fair deal, which has now created an alleged subsidy that is stoking English fury. It will suit Brown well with Daily Mail readers to treat the whole of the UK the same way financially. Alex Salmond says it is "just a euphemism for slashing Scottish spending" but after the pictures of Salmond next to the Queen waving to the crowds one can imagine Brown’s desire to wipe the smile of the face of the SNP leader. So now it's leaving us, what is the Barnett formula? And what is so wrong with it?

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Writing in the Indie, Andreas Whittam Smith has welcomed the first days of Brown, describing them as calmness in the face of terror attacks and purposefulness in terms of dealing with how we are governed. Casting his eye over what I call the democratic agenda, he observes a wide range of activity, including OK:

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Brown’s masterful interview with Andrew Marr this morning made three good points. First, that in our reaction to terrorism, we are in it together and we won’t be intimidated and or allow it to undermine our way of life. And he defined this as including a traditional respect for civil liberties that avoids arbitrariness and ensures judicial oversight and accountability to parliament. It is still difficult not to believe that his predecessor won’t pop up and try and steal the limelight. But his words were a fine contrast with Blair’s notorious, and indeed arbitrary, announcement on 5 August 2005, a month after the 7/7 atrocities, that “the rules of the game have changed” and his later dismissal of concern for civil liberties as old fashioned.

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): I see that Michael Wills has been  appointed as Minister of State in the Department of Constitutional Affairs. A one-time television film maker, and therefore a politician with some experience of the outer world, he is a long time supporter of Gordon Brown, frequently rumoured to have helped on his speeches on the future of Britain. Last year he published a far-reaching ippr paper on Labour and democracy called The New Agenda (register for free pdf). It calls for a constitutional convention. One of the refreshing things about his approach at the time is that he knew how bad things were and how much they needed to change.

Jon Bright (London, OK): It's always dangerous to comment on a politics you're not directly involved in. But the goings on in the Welsh Assembly, blogged so effectively by John Osmond below, have presented a situation of interest to anyone thinking about proportional representation for England, or throughout the UK.