(9) Constitutional change under labour

(9) Constitutional change under labour

1. Background

   • 18 years out of government
   • promised constitutional reform in the manifesto
   • made no attempt a complete reform for instance a creation of a codified constitution

2. Labour party aims in making constitutional change

   • To increase it electability
   • to maintain the position of the progressive party

3. political context to the change

   • Solve problems in North Ireland
   • Growing EU intergation
   • Scotland independent

4. resons for the Labour to make constitonal change

   • Labour had a traditional of constitutional reform
   • High priority
   • left leaning pressure groups
   • Opposition to thatcher
   • Liberal democrats

5. three examples of constitutional change

   • Devolution of Scotland 1999, Wales 1999 and Northern Ireland
   • Different electoral system PR
   • Creation of the Greater London Authority

6. The view of Blairs constitutional changes

   • The supporters unprecedented
   • critics did not go far enough
   • scottish nationalists not fully satisfied
   • house of lords reform not fully completed
   • human rights to not go as far as in some country like USA

7. Brown constitutional changes proposed in 2007

   • reduce voting age to16
   • election on weekends
   • national security council
   • new bill of right's
   • demonstrations near parliament
   • some hints to codified constitution

8. the legacy Labour left in 2010

   • Under Blair there was a thrust to have constitutional reform up in till 2001
   • Under brown there was a lot of proposed constitutional reform but the economic crises stalled most of the reforms becasue the government was mainly concerted with the economy.