Repairing British politics - Richard Gordon

In Britain, the constitutional crisis of 2009 - sparked by the 'expenses scandal' - led rapidly to the questioning of the country's entire political order. At the heart of the crisis lay an absence of accountability at the core of government. This book presents a major new constitutional analysis of the way the British are governed. Repairing British Politics presents some key arguments for constitutional reform, focused around a draft written Constitution underpinned by a new principle of constitutional supremacy. This would replace parliamentary sovereignty, which makes accountability more difficult. A written Constitution is not merely desirable, it is a constitutional necessity if Britain is to have true representative democracy. It would change lives for the better by defining the over-arching values which are considered inviolable. The result would be a more rational, humane, and inclusive society based on greater citizen involvement. Without a clear focus, constitutional reform will not happen. The approach taken here is essentially practical and designed to provide a focal point around which a wider debate might be centered. Written in an easily accessible style and including a glossary of essential terms, Repairing British Politics is intended as much for the general reader as for those professionally interested in law and politics. Part 1 of the book sets out a number of arguments in favor of a written Constitution, as well as the most common objections. Part 2 presents a working draft in the form of one possible model for a Constitution. Observations and explanatory notes are attached to each section of this draft Constitution. This model Constitution is intended as the first stage in a public debate, designed to provoke further discussion about the content and method of legislating into law a written Constitution. Part 3 contains the draft of the Act of Parliament that would be needed to introduce any form of constitutional change. The people are currently facing a crisis of trust in British politics. Whichever party forms the government, the questions raised in Repairing British Politics will not go away.