Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Photo: Collected

LONDON, Aug 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has 
signalled his support for a written constitution for the UK, which unlike 
most countries, does not have one authoritative document.

Since entering office just two weeks ago, the former mayor of Greater 
Manchester has made devolution of power to regional authorities a focus of 
his administration.

"In the end, I think it does start to point towards a new constitutional 
settlement," Burnham said of his devolution plans on the weekend.

Calling for a "new clear set of principles about how this country should be 
run", Burnham said there was a need for a written constitution -- something 
he has called for before he was prime minister.

"It's wrong that people are left arguing for things that are just 
fundamental... and the lack of a constitution disempowers places in that 
situation," said Burnham.

Unlike most countries around the world, Britain does not have a written 
constitution, and is instead governed by a patchwork of statutes, common law 
judgments, and treaties.

The push for a written constitution is fairly recent, with Labour's Gordon 
Brown, who was prime minister from 2007 to 2010, an early proponent of the 
overhaul.

Burnham served as a minister in Brown's government.

A parliamentary committee considered options for codifying the constitution 
in a five-year review, which concluded in 2015 that there was no clear 
consensus.

Any serious attempt to codify the constitution by Burnham would be a years-
long process likely requiring a major public inquiry and consultations.

Burnham on Friday announced plans to allow regional mayors in England to keep 
a share of taxes collected in their area, part of his drive to transfer power 
out of the highly centralised nation's capital.

The UK -- comprising England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland -- saw 
significant constitutional reforms in the late 1990s that created devolved 
parliaments in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

But England itself remains one of Europe's most centralised nations, despite 
the creation of some regional mayors and other bodies in the last decade, 
experts say.