UK Prime Minister believes country needs a written constitution

Newly appointed United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared his support for establishing a written constitution, arguing that the nation's absence of a single, authoritative document hinders its governance. Burnham, who took office two weeks ago after serving as the former mayor of Greater Manchester, has made decentralizing power to regional bodies a key priority for his administration.

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Ultimately, I think this really leads to a new constitutional settlement.

"Ultimately, I think this really leads to a new constitutional settlement," Burnham stated over the weekend, connecting his decentralization plans to the need for a clearer framework. He called for "a new set of clear principles for how this country should be run," emphasizing the necessity of a written constitution, a stance he held even before becoming prime minister.

Burnham criticized the current situation, saying, "It's not right that people are left to argue about things that are just fundamental... and the absence of a constitution in that situation takes power away from regions." Unlike most countries worldwide, the UK does not have a codified constitution. Instead, its constitutional framework is derived from various statutes, common law decisions, and international agreements.

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a new set of clear principles for how this country should be run.

The push for a written constitution is a relatively recent development. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown was an early proponent, and Burnham served in his government. A parliamentary committee explored codification in 2015 but found no clear consensus. Any serious attempt by Burnham to codify the constitution would likely be a lengthy, multi-year process requiring extensive public consultation. His recent announcement allowing regional mayors in England to retain a portion of locally collected taxes is part of his broader decentralization efforts.

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It's not right that people are left to argue about things that are just fundamental... and the absence of a constitution in that situation takes power away from regions.