Burnham Links Devolution to a Written Constitution
Andy Burnham has argued that his drive to hand power to England’s regions strengthens the case for Britain to adopt a written constitution, in the boldest statement yet of his governing philosophy. The Prime Minister, who this week promised to let mayors keep a share of local income tax, cast the shift as a permanent transfer of power away from Downing Street. Some Labour MPs, though, warned he risked “locking out” areas not offered devolution deals.
Britain is one of the few democracies without a single codified constitution, its rules scattered across statute, convention and precedent, and calls to write them down have surfaced periodically without success. Mr Burnham’s intervention signals an ambition to reshape the machinery of the state, not just its policies, tying his devolution agenda to a wider constitutional settlement. Critics on his own benches fear a patchwork of deals that favours some regions over others, while sceptics doubt a written constitution is achievable in a single parliament. It is a debate that could outlast his premiership. Watch whether the idea gathers support or fades as the practical difficulties mount.