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Urgent action needed to preserve United Kingdom, thinktank says Urgent action needed to preserve United Kingdom, thinktank says
(about 4 hours later)
The roles of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland secretaries should be combined into a single ”Department for the Union”, the UK should get a written constitution and secession referendums should be held no more frequently than every 15 years, a thinktank has recommended. The roles of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland secretaries should be combined into a single “Department for the Union”, the UK should get a written constitution, and secession referendums should be held no more frequently than every 15 years, a thinktank has recommended.
The call for a ”charter of the union”, initially setting out the powers and principles governing the relationship between the four nations of the UK, has been made by prominent lawyers and academics in a study by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law. The call for a “charter of the union”, initially setting out the powers and principles governing the relationship between the four nations of the UK – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – has been made by prominent lawyers and academics in a study by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law.
There should be English votes for English laws, according to the review, whose authors include Prof Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC, the centre director, the historian Prof Linda Colley, Prof Adam Tomkins, professor of public law at Glasgow University and Prof Tony Travers, director of British government at the London School of Economics. There should be English votes for English laws, according to the review, whose authors include Prof Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC, the centre director; the historian Prof Linda Colley; Prof Adam Tomkins, professor of public law at Glasgow University; and Prof Tony Travers, director of British government at the London School of Economics.
“The United Kingdom has reached a constitutional crossroads and needs major changes to work effectively,” the report says. “The piecemeal development of devolution means that the overall constitutional fabric of the UK has been weakened.“The United Kingdom has reached a constitutional crossroads and needs major changes to work effectively,” the report says. “The piecemeal development of devolution means that the overall constitutional fabric of the UK has been weakened.
“The process should start with a new charter of the union to provide the framework for a fair and durable settlement between the four nations [England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland].”“The process should start with a new charter of the union to provide the framework for a fair and durable settlement between the four nations [England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland].”
Further transfer of powers to the Scottish parliament at Holyrood could endanger relationships, the report points out. The SNP’s preferred “extreme form of devolution would seem not designed to preserve the union with the rest of the United Kingdom but to break it” it says.Further transfer of powers to the Scottish parliament at Holyrood could endanger relationships, the report points out. The SNP’s preferred “extreme form of devolution would seem not designed to preserve the union with the rest of the United Kingdom but to break it” it says.
The report, entitled A Constitutional Crossroads: Ways Forward for the United Kingdom, also warns that a constitutional clash between Westminster and the Scottish parliament could be triggered by plans to replace the Human Rights Act with a UK bill of rights.The report, entitled A Constitutional Crossroads: Ways Forward for the United Kingdom, also warns that a constitutional clash between Westminster and the Scottish parliament could be triggered by plans to replace the Human Rights Act with a UK bill of rights.
A refusal by the Scottish parliament to pass a motion of consent could establish different human rights regimes in different parts of the UK, it suggests.A refusal by the Scottish parliament to pass a motion of consent could establish different human rights regimes in different parts of the UK, it suggests.
“There is a growing sense of unease that the union is at risk of becoming unstuck,” the study notes. “A new settlement is urgent because the present lack of clarity conveys an impression of instability, which can harm our dealings with the outside world.”“There is a growing sense of unease that the union is at risk of becoming unstuck,” the study notes. “A new settlement is urgent because the present lack of clarity conveys an impression of instability, which can harm our dealings with the outside world.”
Ultimately a written constitution “would most securely provide the advantage of clear ground rules to serve as a framework for our territorial arrangements and secure their permanence”.Ultimately a written constitution “would most securely provide the advantage of clear ground rules to serve as a framework for our territorial arrangements and secure their permanence”.
There should be a single secretary of state for the union rather than separate cabinet ministers responsible for the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the report says.There should be a single secretary of state for the union rather than separate cabinet ministers responsible for the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the report says.
So much legislative responsibility has passed to the devolved assemblies, the individual departments of state for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are effectively under-employed.So much legislative responsibility has passed to the devolved assemblies, the individual departments of state for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are effectively under-employed.
Contrary to popular belief, the United Kingdom is not an old state having been created in its present form as recently as 1922 following the Irish War of Independence. Contrary to popular belief, the United Kingdom is not an old state, having been created in its present form as recently as 1922 following the Irish War of Independence.
The remaining constituent parts have uneven populations: 84% (53.5 million out of 63.7 million) live in England, Scotland has 8.5% (5.3 million), Wales nearly 5% (3.1 million) and Northern Ireland less than 3% (1.8 million). Politically there are 533 English seats in the House of Commons, 59 Scottish seats, 40 Welsh and only 18 MPs from Northern Ireland.The remaining constituent parts have uneven populations: 84% (53.5 million out of 63.7 million) live in England, Scotland has 8.5% (5.3 million), Wales nearly 5% (3.1 million) and Northern Ireland less than 3% (1.8 million). Politically there are 533 English seats in the House of Commons, 59 Scottish seats, 40 Welsh and only 18 MPs from Northern Ireland.
Secession referendums should be held “no more than once in a generation” – a time period the report defines as being no more frequent than every 15 years.Secession referendums should be held “no more than once in a generation” – a time period the report defines as being no more frequent than every 15 years.
“Urgent action, is needed to make our piecemeal devolution arrangements stable, coherent and workable,” Jowell said.“Urgent action, is needed to make our piecemeal devolution arrangements stable, coherent and workable,” Jowell said.