Burnham pushes for written constitution as Labour's Bev Craig wins Manchester mayoral race

A written constitution for the UK

Andy Burnham has said his programme of devolution strengthens the case for a written constitution, a move that would fundamentally alter the centuries-old workings of the British state. The prime minister, who took office on 19 July, argued that the UK's lack of a codified set of rules disempowers regions and leaves people "arguing for things that are just fundamental".

It will increase the case for a constitution because Britain is changing through this, England is certainly changing through this.

Burnham has long advocated such a reform. In his 2024 book Head North, co-authored with Liverpool City Region metro mayor Steve Rotheram, he called the political system "antiquated". The idea of a written constitution gained early support from former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown, but a five-year parliamentary inquiry concluded in 2015 that there was no clear consensus on the issue.

The New Model of Government

On Friday 31 July, Burnham published a devolution blueprint titled "The New Model of Government", which goes far further than previous proposals. It promises English mayors and local leaders a share of income tax receipts from 2028, alongside greater control over transport, housing, innovation, local energy, cultural investment, and public services such as policing and health. The document puts arm's-length bodies including the Arts Council, Sports England, UK Research and Innovation, and Homes England on notice that local leaders will have far more influence over their spending. Mayors will also gain oversight of skills budgets for 16-to-19-year-olds, and the boundaries of key public services will be aligned with mayoralties, with deputy mayors appointed to supervise them.

In the end, I think it does start to point towards a new constitutional settlement, particularly with what Steve and I were writing about with that commitment to equivalent living standards.

Fiscal centralisation and risks

The UK remains one of the most fiscally centralised countries in the developed world. The Centre for Cities estimates that only 5% of tax revenue currently stays with mayors and local authorities, compared with 14% in France and 22% in Japan. The Institute for Fiscal Studies calculates that between 6% and 9% of local income tax revenues would be sufficient to fully replace the central government grants that mayoral authorities now receive. However, the plan carries a risk of widening regional inequalities: the fastest-growing mayoral authorities, such as London and Greater Manchester, are also the wealthiest, while areas like the West Midlands and South Yorkshire lag behind.

Expert caution

Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said introducing a written constitution would be a "huge departure" for the UK. He noted that historically most countries adopted such documents only after a revolution or war that removed or delegitimised the former regime. Bale warned that a codified constitution could "represent a major constraint on the executive", because it would put fundamental rules beyond the power of parliament to change. It remains unclear how the government would pursue significant constitutional change while simultaneously advancing Burnham's agenda on devolution, social care, and public control of utilities.

Historically, most countries did it in the wake of a revolution or a war that has removed or delegitimised the former regime.

Manchester mayoral test

In the first electoral test since Burnham became prime minister, Labour's Bev Craig won the Manchester mayoral contest, succeeding Burnham. The Economist described the result as Burnham passing his first test, with opposition parties struggling. The Telegraph, however, argued that the new mayor would not reverse Manchester's decline, calling the outcome "bad news for the people of Manchester and bad news for Britain". Burnham's "Number 10 North" office in Manchester, set up to shift decision-making away from London, features a statue of John Bright, a 19th-century free-trader whose original "Manchesterism" Burnham now reinterprets as a call for greater state control over the economy.