Hot off press: call for new settlement

Anthony Barnett (London, OK): With perfect timing the Smith Institute has released "Towards a new Constitutional Settlement" a book of essays edited by Chris Bryant, Labour MP for Rhondda. It includes arguments for a written constitution as well as an attempt by Vernon Bogdanor's students in Oxford to codify our existing constitution, a welcome demystification. The Smith Institute, named after John Smith, is a "Brownite" think-tank. It seems to have conviently provided some substance to the need for overall reform. A cross-party meeting is being held tomorrow morning to launch the monograph. I'll report from the event.