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Why did Blair want to reform the Constitution?

Why did Blair want to reform the Constitution?. What do we mean by Constitutional Reform? What did Blair do? How successful was he?. What is Constitutional Reform?. Fundamental nature of the political system is changed. Includes codification as well as changes to particular bodies.

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Why did Blair want to reform the Constitution?

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  1. Why did Blair want to reform the Constitution? What do we mean by Constitutional Reform? What did Blair do? How successful was he?

  2. What is Constitutional Reform? • Fundamental nature of the political system is changed. • Includes codification as well as changes to particular bodies. • Blair’s reforms were significant but never was a whole new constitutional settlement proposed.

  3. Four reasons for Constitutional Reform • Democratisation • Decentralisation • Human Rights • Modernisation (especially of Parliament)

  4. What did Blair change? • House of Lords reform • House of Commons modernisation • Human Rights Act 1998 • Devolution (and PR for those assemblies) • Freedom of Information • Elected Mayors for London and elsewhere • Use of referenda • Supreme Court

  5. How successful? • Significant changes • Falling short • Unintended consequences • Lacking in coherence • Blair’s detachment

  6. What did Brown propose? Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, 2010 • Parliament to ratify treaties by law • Prime Minister taken out of the process for selecting judges • End of hereditary peers • Formal role for Parliament in deployment of troops

  7. The Coalition Agreement, 2010- • Referendum on AV, 2011 • Fully elected second chamber • Fixed term Parliament – no dissolution without 67% majority • Recall elections • Reduce size of the Commons • More elected mayors (eg Salford, 2012)

  8. Coalition continued • Greater powers to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly • This has been over-taken by the events of January 2012: • BBC News - Scottish independence: Alex Salmond outlines referendum question

  9. If implemented, specific changes to: • Powers of PM • Relationship between executive and Parliament • Relationship between Commons and Lords • Relationship between voters and MPs

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