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constitution uk

For news of events, petitions and campaigns that may be of interest to humanists and secularists.
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coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

constitution uk

#1 Post by coffee » January 23rd, 2014, 10:52 am

ConstitutionUK
@ConstitutionUK
Crowdsourcing a new constitution for the UK based on your values and your opinions.

Participate here: http://tinyurl.com/ogkqnvw
UK · constitutionuk.com

https://www.loomio.org/g/ROxkIa9E/constitutionuk
Last edited by Alan H on November 22nd, 2014, 11:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Tried to tidy and correct links.

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: constitution uk

#2 Post by coffee » January 23rd, 2014, 10:55 am

and this

constitutionuk.com

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: constitution uk

#3 Post by coffee » November 22nd, 2014, 10:46 am

Fellow humanists please
keep eye on these two websites and follow their twitter accounts
They are too important to ignore

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/
http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/constitutionuk/

User avatar
Alan H
Posts: 24067
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:26 pm

Re: constitution uk

#4 Post by Alan H » November 22nd, 2014, 11:08 am

coffee wrote:ConstitutionUK
@ConstitutionUK
Crowdsourcing a new constitution for the UK based on your values and your opinions.

Participate here: http://tinyurl.com/ogkqnvw
UK · constitutionuk.com

https://www.loomio.org/g/ROxkIa9E/constitutionuk
I tried to sort out your link, but https://www.loomio.org/g/ROxkIa9E/constitutionuk gives an error. Can you check it?
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

User avatar
Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: constitution uk

#5 Post by Dave B » November 22nd, 2014, 11:22 am

Alan H wrote:
coffee wrote:ConstitutionUK
@ConstitutionUK
Crowdsourcing a new constitution for the UK based on your values and your opinions.

Participate here: http://tinyurl.com/ogkqnvw
UK · constitutionuk.com

https://www.loomio.org/g/ROxkIa9E/constitutionuk
I tried to sort out your link, but https://www.loomio.org/g/ROxkIa9E/constitutionuk gives an error. Can you check it?
I ger a message saying that it is a private loomio group and that you need a member to invite you in.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: constitution uk

#6 Post by coffee » November 26th, 2014, 9:56 am

I tried to sort out your link, but https://www.loomio.org/g/ROxkIa9E/constitutionuk gives an error. Can you check it?
I ger a message saying that it is a private loomio group and that you need a member to invite you in.
I don't know what going on and I can't get in either, sorry

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: constitution uk

#7 Post by coffee » December 22nd, 2014, 9:44 am

There could be a new uk consitution on the horizon so please humanists, be prepare to fight for a fair deal for humanists, here are the interesting links for our/your research, good luck everyone.

https://www.constituteproject.org/

http://constitution-unit.com/2014/12/15 ... itution-2/


On twitter

Constitution Unit
@ConUnit_UCL
The Constitution Unit is an independent, non-partisan research centre based in the Department of Political Science (@uclspp) at University College London.

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Alan H
Posts: 24067
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:26 pm

Re: constitution uk

#8 Post by Alan H » December 22nd, 2014, 11:05 am

coffee wrote:There could be a new uk consitution on the horizon...
Why do you say that? There has been a lot of rhetoric (mostly whining by Tories) but I don't think I've seen anything more than that.
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: constitution uk

#9 Post by coffee » December 23rd, 2014, 9:41 am

Why do you say that? There has been a lot of rhetoric (mostly whining by Tories) but I don't think I've seen anything more than that.
Hi Alan,

Because things are used to be after Scotish referendum and there were talked about it on bbc radio 4 so it better for humanists be prepared, and it is my gut feeling. I think I also heard it from bbc radio 4 that there is talk about new constitution for the american too but I could be wrong.

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: constitution uk

#10 Post by coffee » February 21st, 2015, 10:08 am

Humanists, please look at this & have your say

https://constitutionuk.com/category/2848

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: constitution uk

#11 Post by coffee » February 21st, 2015, 10:10 am

Humanists, please look at this & have your say

https://constitutionuk.com/category/2848

and tweet them here

Constitution Unit
@ConUnit_UCL

ConstitutionUK
@ConstitutionUK

#constituionUK

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: constitution uk

#12 Post by coffee » June 20th, 2015, 9:56 am

The People's Constitution

Is there room for improvement?

Important that humanists read this.

There is this bit @ 2.11 (or point 2.11) regard to abortion that I didn't quite understand, so please check it out.

http://lsedesignunit.com/theconstitution/

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/constitutionuk/2 ... stitution/

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: constitution uk

#13 Post by coffee » July 29th, 2015, 10:37 am

Your Constitution

A draft of our constitutional text is now available in PDF format below. The draft is the product of the refined content from each of the eleven challenge topics on the platform as examined and scrutinised by the Constitutional Convention.

https://constitutionuk.com/post/125100?forPhase=7026
(Scroll down to find it)

or here

https://f69aa27b9b6c6702e27b-ffbfdeddb5 ... tution.pdf

coffee
Posts: 1594
Joined: June 2nd, 2009, 4:53 pm

Re: constitution uk

#14 Post by coffee » July 8th, 2017, 1:39 pm

The People's Constitution is here, follow the link below

https://lsedesignunit.com/theconstituti ... tml?page=1




Constitutions at Work - BBC Radio 4
Analysis

Constitutions put controls on the people who run countries - but how are they created and how well do they work?

In ordinary times constitutional debate often seems an abstract business without very much relevance to the way we live our lives. But political turmoil can operate like an X-ray, lighting up the bones around which the body politic is formed.


More about it please follow the link below

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08wnc03

Zeff
Posts: 142
Joined: August 6th, 2016, 2:13 pm

Re: constitution uk

#15 Post by Zeff » July 16th, 2017, 9:25 pm

I haven't finished reading all this. The separation of powers is into three branches of government. There is usually a constitutional court of some kind but I don't think that is enough. I think four branches would be better, adding a Constitutional Assembly to the Executive, Legislative and Judicial. For example, no constitutional court in the UK can reduce the number of MPs in the House of Commons or do away with the Lords without the consent of both houses. Parliament cannot even reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600!
Sometimes those in power are too invested in the status quo and we need a constitutional body to identify when that is the case and call a referendum on such questions in response to evidence of public demand for it. There may not be much demand for abolition of the Lords, but I think most people would be happy with fewer MPs and a poll in 2015 suggested most people wanted fewer Lords too.
Perhaps a Constitutional Assembly could also take charge of delineating electoral areas and that might reduce gerrymandering?

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animist
Posts: 6522
Joined: July 30th, 2010, 11:36 pm

Re: constitution uk

#16 Post by animist » July 18th, 2017, 9:32 am

Zeff wrote:I haven't finished reading all this. The separation of powers is into three branches of government. There is usually a constitutional court of some kind but I don't think that is enough. I think four branches would be better, adding a Constitutional Assembly to the Executive, Legislative and Judicial. For example, no constitutional court in the UK can reduce the number of MPs in the House of Commons or do away with the Lords without the consent of both houses. Parliament cannot even reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600!
Sometimes those in power are too invested in the status quo and we need a constitutional body to identify when that is the case and call a referendum on such questions in response to evidence of public demand for it. There may not be much demand for abolition of the Lords, but I think most people would be happy with fewer MPs and a poll in 2015 suggested most people wanted fewer Lords too.
Perhaps a Constitutional Assembly could also take charge of delineating electoral areas and that might reduce gerrymandering?
please, no more referendums except maybe one to sort out the 2016 disaster! I'm not sure what you mean about the number of MPs. Reducing this to 600 had been agreed but was prevented by the snap election of last June. The Electoral Commission does the job of suggesting changes to electoral areas - what's wrong with that? The problem about the Lords continues as there are so many options available - at least they are better than they used to be. Of course, if we had PR the importance of electoral boundaries would reduce, but noone seems interested in this most important of all changes

Zeff
Posts: 142
Joined: August 6th, 2016, 2:13 pm

Re: constitution uk

#17 Post by Zeff » July 18th, 2017, 3:03 pm

Entirely sympathise with Animist about another referendum.

There's little that's wrong with the electoral commission as long as the adjustments are minor, at least. I would like to see the abolition of the House of Lords and the HofC should never have reached 600. Just my humble opinion. (I suggest 325 but, yes, I know "There wouldn't be enough junior ministers...", etc). I acknowledge many people see little that's wrong with the structure and system of government in this country (or even in the EU). In my view, that is why we have Brexit, HS2, Hinkley C; housing crisis; financial crises; 100% faith schools; high crime (including on probation, though falling statistical figures, as usual); eternal upheaval in education; etc....

I wonder if we can correct a situation where the population seem to want the policies of the LibDems but few change their voting habits and fewer MPs would dream of 'crossing the floor'.

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Alan H
Posts: 24067
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:26 pm

Re: constitution uk

#18 Post by Alan H » July 18th, 2017, 4:34 pm

Zeff wrote:Entirely sympathise with Animist about another referendum.

There's little that's wrong with the electoral commission as long as the adjustments are minor, at least. I would like to see the abolition of the House of Lords and the HofC should never have reached 600. Just my humble opinion. (I suggest 325 but, yes, I know "There wouldn't be enough junior ministers...", etc). I acknowledge many people see little that's wrong with the structure and system of government in this country (or even in the EU). In my view, that is why we have Brexit, HS2, Hinkley C; housing crisis; financial crises; 100% faith schools; high crime (including on probation, though falling statistical figures, as usual); eternal upheaval in education; etc....

I wonder if we can correct a situation where the population seem to want the policies of the LibDems but few change their voting habits and fewer MPs would dream of 'crossing the floor'.
But what is the 'right' number and why? Why 325? Why not 650 or 1,000?
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

Nick
Posts: 11027
Joined: July 4th, 2007, 10:10 am

Re: constitution uk

#19 Post by Nick » July 19th, 2017, 9:47 am

SOme ideas on Lords reform. First of all, accept an evolutionary approach, rather than try to find a single big bang solution. Having a flexible constitution works quite well, allowing us to devise new rules and procedures as the need arises.

Peers should retire from the House at 80, but can keep the title and certain ceremonial functions.

Appoint peers on a 7 year, renewable basis. (But definitely not all at once!) If they do precious little after a few years, don't reappoint them, but let them keep their title etc. (as above).

Adopt a rough division of peers between the major parties, perhaps based on the proportionate election strength on the general election. So, if one party polls strongly, their nominations would be prioritised to alter the make up of the House.

Keep a proportion 25-30%, say, for cross-benchers.

An initial limit of 800, with maybe a further reduction. OTOH, it is useful to have wide areas of expertise, so numbers shouldn't dominate effectiveness.

No ( or few) bishops, as of right. I would expect several to be peers, just because they do represent a proportion of the populace, whatever we may like! Canterbury, York and London would not make much difference if their position were guaranteed, rather than just adopted in procatice.

Make me a peer! :D

I do not favour an elected HoL, because I think this would undermine the supremacy of the Commons.

Zeff
Posts: 142
Joined: August 6th, 2016, 2:13 pm

Re: constitution uk

#20 Post by Zeff » July 21st, 2017, 10:52 am

.

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