Overview
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham renewed the push for a written constitution on Monday as part of a devolution package that includes letting regional mayors retain a portion of locally raised income tax by early 2028.
- Burnham links codification to his ‘rewiring’ agenda and says a single text would set legal limits on government power and clarify relationships between Westminster, devolved governments and city regions.
- Campaign groups such as Unlock Democracy and the Electoral Reform Society welcomed the move while Republic said codification could open a longer-term debate about the monarchy.
- Constitutional experts warn drafting one document will be technically hard and politically fraught because it would require agreement on parliamentary sovereignty, the monarch’s role, electoral change and the House of Lords.
- The UK’s current uncodified system rests on statutes, court decisions and conventions, so any codification would be a medium‑to‑long‑term project needing cross‑party buy‑in, broad public engagement and detailed proposals due in late October.