Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
6 Key Changes To The Constitution - Coggle Diagram
6 Key Changes To The Constitution
Rights
Blair codified the ECHR into UK law. This is significant because it’s the first time our rights have been written down/codified.
However the HRA is controversial and there are different arguments for supporting or opposing it
Arguments for the HRA
It gives judges more power to uphold our rights, especially the rights’ of minorities
Makes citizens more aware of their rights, stopping them from violated by the state
Makes the government more accountable
Arguments against the HRA
Is a trojan horse for EU laws so that they can have more control over our constitution
Judges are effectively able to rewrite legislation, which is giving them too much power
Gives people too many rights; right to family life is seen just as important as freedom from slavery
Devolution
The act of handing power down to local and regional authorities. Increases direct democracy and decentralises power. There are different exampes of this
Devolution in England
17 Urban areas have adopted the elected London mayor model.
There has also been talks of an 'English parliament', but there's been little support from parties and the public
Devolution in Scotland, Wales, NI
Westminster only has power over the defence, foreign policy, welfare, constitutional matters and important areas of
the economy in these areas.
The Scottish government devises and implements policy on matters devolved to Scotland, and proposes and annual budget to parliament. They have their own parliament with 129 MSP's
For example; Scottish students do not pay for university tuition fees, there's free nursing care for the elderly and you can't buy the council house you live in
The Welsh parliament has 60 members. They also have less power, in terms of things such as police and justice. They also don't have the power to change income tax and borrowing.
NI Assembly was set up in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It brought together the Unionists, people who want NI to be a part of the UK, and the Republicans, people who want a united and independent Ireland
Electoral Reform
FPTP was never even considered to be scrapped, however all devolved elections other than the directly elected mayors use some sort of proportional system
Parliament
House of Lords
Majority of peers were hereditary and mostly Tory. This meant that Tory policies were more likely to be approved in the House of Lords. Blair's government started a phased reform
Phase 1 - Removal of hereditary peers. This was done quite easily and achieved in 1999. Small number of hereditary peers remain, 92 of them. They will be phased out over time as well
Phase 2 - Hasn't been achieved as there hasn't been a consensus on it. This is the idea that House of Lords should be replaced with a chamber that's more democratic. While Labour had a comfortable majority and could've passed this act, they didn't. Some wanted a fully elected new body, which was problematic because it could have the same or similar power as the House of Commons, which is sovereign.
Regional and local government
London had a directly elected Mayor, Ken Livingstone
16 more cities have followed this path, such as Manchester
Judiciary
The Supreme court was established in 2009, making it the highest court in the land. Before 2009, the highest court in the land was the House of Lords. Which was a problem as they're supposed to be legislators
This meant that members of the House of Lords that want to be a part of the Supreme Court now had to leave the parliament as they can't be in two branches of government simultaneously.