Andy Burnham Says Britain Needs a Written Constitution

Why Andy Burnham is making the case now

Burnham first advocated a written constitution in his 2024 book, Head North: A Rallying Cry for a More Equal Britain, co-authored with Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram. He said his devolution programme – which would give every area the right to become a strategic authority – makes the argument for a new constitutional settlement harder to ignore. The move comes amid a sustained Burnham bounce in the polls since he entered Downing Street.

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. We need to have a country where everyone, in the end, can live a comparable life.

Burnham said "good growth in every postcode" should be the "cornerstone" of any constitution, adding: "There is a case for a new clear set of principles about how this country should be run and things that should be minimum basics in all parts of the country." Ministers are expected to flesh out the devolution plans in the coming weeks.