On location
Before heading off to see the Magna Carta I went to film the Bill of Rights of 1689. It's held in the - 12 floors of air conditioned and dehumidified storage for every Act ever passed.
I filmed there because I think it's likely (though we still don't know) that alongside anti-sleaze measures (a new ministerial code of conduct and watchdog) and new powers for Parliament (to vote on wars and approve public appointments) Gordon Brown may announce moves towards a new Bill of Rights. This may simply be a statement of what it means to be British - both rights and responsibilities. It may, also, be an attempt to narrow the room for judges to interpret the law - in particular the Human Rights Act - in ways which have frustrated ministers' attempts to tighten anti-terror laws.
If that sounds familiar, the Tories proposed just such an idea and have a Commission examining it.
I'm 
Comments
Nick,
What is the point of filming the 1689 Bill of Rights or Magna Carta, or discussing Brown's proposals when Blair effectively signed all of this away two weeks ago in Europe ? Every European head of state except Brown/Blair is confirming that this agreement is a constition by another name, and yet NOT A BLEAT from the Beeb about the loss of our sovereignty to the EU, or the Labour party's election manifesto promise to take any such change to a referendum. Whatever happened to journalism ????????????
He has announced changes. Fundamental changes. They may be desirable. But he has not one single vote that gives him the mandate to tinker like this. He will almost certainly win an election and increase his majority.
Then he will have a mandate.
the Parliamentary Archives - 12 floors of air conditioned and dehumidified storage for every Act ever passed.
(And another 24 floors of storage for every Act passed by new labour in the last 10 years!)
British Bill of Rights?
How will that affect those of us who are
English not British?
Scottish not British?
Welsh not British?
Irish not British?
A bill of rights is a small but useful step in helping people focus on proper order and harmony. I'm hoping that it won't just be another piece of paper both extremes pay lip service to but a genuine exercise in reflection. A document this fundamental deserves it.
As for the Acts of Parliament it replaces, I'd be more than happy to see them repealed then dragged outside and burned. Why? Simply, British law is a mess. It's layers and layers of people reinventing the wheel, adding their own special interests, and assorted nonsense.
So far, the governments refactoring of law has been a good exercise in clearing away clutter and making law more useful and accessible. Their record is good and Prime Minister Gordon has the leadership qualities to deliver more of the same. Good. Carry on.
At least Gordon Brown had the decency to announce his policies in the House of Commons as opposed to the press first.
A) Brown needs to call an election to get a mandate to make constitutional changes that were not part of the last labour manifesto.
B) A bill of rights is a darned good idea, but I could not possibly trust Brown's bunch of labour losers to create a sensible or simple and workable one.
One of those rights must surely be the right to freedom and individuals must not be subject to any form of detention without charge or trial.
Whatever the government feels it needs to do to combat terrorism, the individual must have the right to challenge their accusers in an impartial and just court of law.
Hi Nick
Haven't we been here before?
I seem to rememeber around February 1999 an ill fated Bill (the Modernisation of the Premiership Bill) was introduced onto the floor of the House of Commons by Tony Benn which, if memory serves, specifically identifed, amongst opther measures designed to curb the Prime Ministers powers, that Parliament had the power to declare war and not the single holder of the Office of Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.
With no backers it quietly and quickly expired and yet here we have G Brown (front bencher then and now) reintroducing it with a flourish! Sickening.
As you can see from the picture we already have a written constitution.
What we need now is a consolidation into a new form that is relevant to todays needs.
For example, there is a pressing to need for the constitution to protect us from a new tyranny - the media and electronic communications.
Parliament having made everybody a criminal if they have overdue taxes is now going remove the monies electronically from bank accounts without the owners permission.
Remember those 37,000 who were electronically overpaid tax credits and found that they could not pay them back. They ended up before magistrates as criminals. What protection did the constitution offer them? None!
There is now case law that states that HMRC has no duty of care to the taxpayer. This means that that you cannot sue them for wrong doing.
Has Parliament become a tyrant in that it passes laws that allow this?
Vote Gordon Brown for more of what you have already allowed him to do.
When I visited Runnymede many years ago an American tourist asked me "When was the Magna Carta signed?" I replied, "1215." "Oh damn, missed it by quarter of an hour," answered the tourist. It was 12.30 pm.
When Cameron proposed a "British Bill of Rights and Responsibilities" Labour and their hangers-on rubbished the whole idea. "crazy and wrong-headed", "pointless" etc.. Strangely, now .... ???
We don't need a new 'Bill of Rights' we already have one that is still law it's called the '1689 Bill of Rights'
On 21st July 1993 The Speaker of The House of Commons Betty Boothroyd said: ‘There has of course been no amendment to The Bill of Rights…the house is entitled to expect that The Bill of Rights will be fully respected by all those appearing before the courts.’