Constitutional Futures: A History of the Next Ten Years Book

Tony Blair described Labour's shake-up of the British constitution as "the biggest programme of change to democracy ever proposed". This is no mere soundbite. The plank of reforms either completed or under consideration is unprecedented: devolution, regional decentralisation, freedom of information, Lords reform, Bank of England Independence, Human Rights legislation, PR in European elections, a Mayor for London, and, most fundamental of all, possible entry into EMU. Robert Hazell, founder of think-tank The Constitution Unit, here forecasts how all these changes will transform the UK's political landscape. The central tenet of the book is that the reforms are not co-ordinated--"the changes do not add up to a new constitution: they will be patches on an old garment"--and will take on a life of their own. The fundamental tensions and contradictions between the different Acts will inevitably lead to further change in ways that the government has not intended, e.g., decline of the two-party system, Westminster slowly disenfranchised and the growth in judicial review. Though authoritative, comprehensive and detailed (revealing comparisons with other countries' reforms are used throughout as touchstones for what might happen in Britain), the writing is fairly dry. This is no gripping polemic &agrav; la Hutton's The State We're In but it should make interesting reading in ten years' time. --Jim RickardsRead More