Brown commission reforms offer first ‘blueprint’ for much-needed democratic renewal

Democratic reform campaigners have welcomed the release of Gordon Brown’s proposals for the UK constitution – hailing the proposals as ‘a blueprint for much-needed democratic renewal’.

The proposals, which include abolishing the House of Lords and replacing it with an elected Assembly of the Nations and Regions, are part of a wide-ranging review of the constitution.

But the UK’s leading democracy campaign group have also warned that the proposals fall short warning that without PR for the House of Commons there will remain a glaring hole in Britain’s new constitutional settlement.

Dr Jess Garland, Director of Policy and Research, Electoral Reform Society said:

“We welcome Labour’s proposals for renewing out democracy – a clear sign that Labour is correctly putting democracy at the heart of their plans to modernise Britain.

“From further devolving powers to local communities, cleaning up our elections by taking big money out of politics to, the overdue abolition of the unelected and unaccountable House of Lords, these proposals offer a blueprint for much-needed democratic renewal.

“But any new elected second chamber must be fairly elected and to ensure every voter, as well as every nation and region, is appropriately represented. But if the same principle of fair representation is not too extended to the House of Commons, a glaring hole will be left in Britain’s new constitutional settlement.

“Keir Starmer is right to recognise that our broken constitutional model has held back our politics for too long. These issues are not a distraction from bread-and-butter issues that impact people’s day-to-day lives but the root cause of the failure to properly address them.”