Real Democracy

It’s time the UK had real democracy

I’d never heard of the following until now. I wonder why…

In 1991, Tony Benn MP made what has been perhaps the most radical challenge to this concentration of power so far when he proposed the Commonwealth of Britain Bill. It was seconded by the future leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn. It proposed abolishing the British monarchy, with the United Kingdom becoming a ‘democratic, federal and secular Commonwealth of Britain’, or in effect a republic with a codified constitution. It was introduced by Benn a number of times until he retired in 2001, but never achieved a second reading. ‘Under the Bill:

• The monarchy would be abolished and the constitutional status of the crown ended;
• The Church of England would be disestablished;
• The head of state would be a president, elected by a joint sitting of both Houses of the Commonwealth Parliament;
• The functions of the royal prerogative would be transferred to Parliament;
• The Privy Council would be abolished, and replaced by a Council of State;
• The House of Lords would be replaced by an elected House of the People, with equal representation of men and women;
• The House of Commons would similarly have equal representation of men and women;
• England, Scotland and Wales would have their own devolved National Parliaments with responsibility for devolved matters as agreed;
• County Court judges and magistrates would be elected; and
• British jurisdiction over Northern Ireland would be ended.
• The judiciary would be reformed and a National Legal Service would be created.’