UK written constitution: Burnham signals support

Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled support for a written UK constitution, linking the idea to his plans to devolve more power to regional authorities.

Burnham said his devolution plans “point towards a new constitutional settlement” and called for “a new clear set of principles about how this country should be run”. He said the lack of a constitution can leave places arguing for things he described as fundamental.

The UK does not have one authoritative constitutional document, instead relying on statutes, common law judgments and treaties. Burnham had called for a written constitution before becoming prime minister.

Burnham, a former mayor of Greater Manchester, entered office two weeks ago and has made devolution a focus. On July 31, he announced plans to let regional mayors in England keep a share of taxes collected in their areas.

The UK created devolved parliaments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the late 1990s. A parliamentary committee review of options for codifying the constitution ended in 2015 without clear consensus.