Guy Lodge (London, ippr): The contrast couldn't be starker. In his final session of Prime Minister's Questions Tony Blair, when asked about a constitutional matter - admittedly on the relatively obscure issue of church disestablishment - responded dismissively: "I'm really not bothered about that one". It was indicative of his general attitude towards constitutional reform, which he has long considered to be a distraction from real government business and an issue solely of concern for the 'chattering classes'. Gordon Brown, however, has placed constitutional reform at the heart of his government programme, and this week set in motion a series of reforms which could lead to a radical new settlement, including the possibility of a British Bill of Rights and a written constitution.
The challenge for Gordon, however, is to convince people like Blair that they should be bothered. Certainly he will need to bring the media round, who seem to have decided that no one down the "Dog and Duck" cares about prerogative powers. Brown has set out where he wants to go; but now needs to invest time in articulating why the British public should want to join him on the journey.
So far he has couched it in terms of renewing and rebuilding trust in our political culture and institutions, and its links with his Britishness agenda. Of course this is vitally important and all would agree that we need a high trust politics. And underpinning any new settlement with a clear understanding of what Britons value is integral to developing a ‘national shared purpose'.
But is it sufficient in itself? Probably not. One important thing he should do to supplement this is to show how constitutional reform can have a positive impact on more tangible policy outcomes, in health and education for instance, which the public will care passionately about. A well functioning constitution will improve the quality of decision making and improve the way we are governed: and Brown has precedent to build on here. Bank of England independence - a major piece of constitutional reform - delivered ‘real world' outcomes by achieving macroeconomic stability. Equally, his plans for empowering and involving citizens in decision-making should be cast not simply in democratic terms but also to show how their inclusion will lead to better decisions.
But what are the other core narratives for why Brown's plans matter? Over to OK readers.
