Minister for the Cabinet Office speech at Constitution Unit Conference – uk.gov

Introduction

It’s a pleasure to be here with you all.

Before I start, let me commend the Constitution Unit…

…not just for hosting today’s conference…

…but for – this year – reaching its 30th birthday. 

Don’t worry, I’m not going to sing…

…but I will sing your praises…just a little.

The esteem in which you are held speaks to the high quality and rigor of your work…

…and I could not imagine a better audience to speak to on today’s topic.

Today, I want to focus on Constitutional reform…

…what it means for our democracy…

…and, most importantly, what it means for the public.

But before I start talking about the future, I would like to focus – briefly – on the past.

Magna Carta

This year, we celebrate the 800th Anniversary of the 1225 edition of Magna Carta.

The definitive edition that, arguably, set the template for the United States Declaration of Independence…

…and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It may be surprising, then, to learn that the original Magna Carta from 1215 was revoked as quickly as it was ratified.

King John wrote to Pope Innocent the Third to repudiate the agreement that he himself had struck…

…and it was annulled a few months after it was sealed.

As the comedian David Mitchell puts it: “King John thought the country was his to do with what he liked…

…and the idea that the Kingdom could generate rules that he would then have to obey was absurd to him…

…as if a billionaire found a ‘No Diving’ sign next to their private swimming pool”.

But it was the determination of a few people that ensured it was reintroduced…

…ratified by King John’s son, Henry III, and found its proper place on the statute book.

Magna Carta began a constitutional thread…

…to the Bill of Rights in 1689, which established parliamentary sovereignty and the right to free election…

…the Reform Acts of the 19th Century, which led to the modern electoral system…

…all the way up to the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law through the Human Rights Act 1998.

For one of the country’s oldest historic written documents, it still delivers a few new surprises…

…with Harvard University recently uncovering a Magna Carta original from 1300, after believing it was a much more recent copy. 

Recent Context

But what isn’t surprising is what a foundation that Magna Carta creates for our modern constitution…

…made up of laws, conventions and rules…

…that, crucially, outlined how no one person is above the law…

…and that we must all be held to the same standard.

That’s right in historical principle…

…but when it comes to Government, has that always been the modern practice?

To put it plainly: we have reached record levels of distrust and dissatisfaction with how the Government works…

…and how it can get things done.

The most recent National Centre for Social Research report found that 45% of people surveyed say they ‘almost never’ trust governments – of any party – to place the needs of the nation above their political party.

That is at one level a remarkable statistic – but it is hardly surprising. 

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No wonder people became exhausted with Westminster… it felt like politics wasn’t working for them.

What a shocking indictment of our political and constitutional system.

Especially, when I know the change I can help secure for my constituents through Parliament…

…and how MPs across parties are motivated by making a difference.

Parliament remains the forum through which the British people can give an instruction for change.

…but that is not to say it cannot – or should not – be strengthened.

Nor is it to say that we should not, always, be looking at the adequacy of checks and balances.

But, fundamentally, I believe that, through that change, we can restore the public’s faith in our constitution…

…restore their capacity to feel like political choices can make their lives better… 

…and make ordinary people feel like they have a stake.

That couldn’t be more important to this Government. 

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Driven by the desire for change. To rebuild our country. National renewal. Returning politics to public service.

These were not just words on a leaflet. They were something we felt angry about, driven by.

After fourteen years, we have the opportunity to make people feel like they have a stake in their communities again…

…a stake in their country again…

…for people to see their politicians governing as an act of public service, not personal gratification.

To put country before party.

Changes to Date

And we can do this in sensible ways, with tangible steps.

Take the small task of restoring trust. 

All of us in this room know that accountability and integrity are core parts of protecting our constitution.

But what do those things mean to the majority of the population? 

How can we show action … 

…convey what that action represents, 

…and what it will do. 

If we want to govern in the name of public service, we need to show we care about it.

That is why we brought in changes – holding our Government Ministers to account in a much stronger way than ever before. 

The Prime Minister has given the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards the power to independently initiate investigations…

…without retaining a veto. 

And the new Ministerial Code, published in November last year, strengthened and clarified standards across the board…

…enshrining the ‘Seven Principles of Public Life’ directly into the Code. 

For too long, standards slipped…

…and few were interested in re-establishing the ideals and principles that should define the Government’s work.

This is precisely what the Prime Minister promised… 

…that we would get a grip on the problems we face. 

And, crucially, that we would be judged by our actions, not by our words. 

This is a Government focused on national renewal…

…and, as part of that renewal, embedding higher standards in public life. 

House of Lords

Nowhere is our desire for sensible change more evident than in the House of Lords…

…and the reforms we are finally bringing to that Chamber. 

Now, I know that there are many hardworking Peers across the Lords…

…I am incredibly fortunate, in working in the Cabinet Office, to work alongside the Leader of the House of Lords. 

Peers are, undeniably, a crucial part of our democracy…

…who use their expertise and experience to ensure legislation is scrutinised to an incredibly high standard.

But that doesn’t mean we cannot improve it. 

This belief is at the heart of our Hereditary Peers Bill, which is soon to have its Report Stage in the House of Lords.

It is shaping up to be the largest constitutional reform to Parliament in the last 25 years…

…and it was introduced in our first 100 days in office. 

This could not be more important. 

It is wholly indefensible that, in the 21st century, there are seats in our legislature allocated by an accident of birth. 

So, finally, that historic wrong is being put right. 

It is, in an important way, a gesture towards young people across our country. 

I want people growing up in Blaenavon, Pontypool and Cwmbran in my constituency…

…and, indeed, in every part of the country…

…to feel that they have the same chance as anyone else to play a part in making the laws of the land.

To remove the barriers, piece by piece, to ordinary people being able to feel like they have a stake in politics, and in parliamentary democracy.

This sits alongside our other manifesto commitments on Lords reform…

…like setting a retirement age, minimum participation requirements and making the appointments process more transparent

…all making Parliament fit for modern Britain. 

House of Commons

But our ideas of constitutional reform are not solely focused on the House of Lords.

No, we must look at the Commons, too…

…and consider what we could improve. 

So much of our constitution is wrapped up in the tradition displayed in the Commons. 

Everything from the architecture, the layout, the procedures…

…so much of it is symbolic of parliamentary sovereignty…

…and the great tradition of open parliamentary debate. 

But while tradition and ritual often protects the principles of our constitution, it can sometimes become a barrier if not updated for today’s world.

I know that the vast majority of our MPs work hard to serve their constituents…

…but they can often find that work is hamstrung by arcane procedures and outdated working practices.

We should not forget that over half of MPs elected in the most recent General Election are new to Parliament.

So, we need to make sure that the Commons is brought into the 21st Century…

…and that these new MPs are able to navigate the historic system and use it to create modern, progressive change. 

This is the precise objective of our Modernisation Committee.

It’s headed up by my ministerial colleague, the Leader of the House of Commons…

…and is considering many important issues to make the Commons more up-to-date so that MPs are enabled to deliver for their constituents.

Everything from the accessibility of the physical parliamentary estate…

…as well as the accessibility of procedures, language and information.

It will also examine how to use MPs’ time better…

…ensuring that sitting hours provide enough time to scrutinise legislation…

…and give backbenchers a fair opportunity to raise issues on behalf of their constituents.

The Modernisation Committee has, building on the changes we made in July 2024, asked the Committee on Standards to go further… 

…exploring how the rules on MPs outside interests can be tightened even further, to ensure MPs are prioritising their constituents…

…as I know the vast majority already do.

This is all about making sure that those who turn up in Westminster are not blocked from speaking up for those they represent.

Union and Devolution

But I wouldn’t want anyone listening to think that we’re solely focused on what’s going on in Westminster. 

England is one of the most centralised countries…

…and my colleague the Deputy Prime Minister and I believe that it’s time we change that. 

That’s why, in the English Devolution White Paper, we set out our plans to move power out of Westminster…

…and move it back to those who know their areas best.

We need to ensure that there is proper devolution throughout England…

…and hand more power over to cities and communities to make the changes they see needed.

I believe that devolution is crucial if we want communities to combat the challenges they recognise as uniquely their own…

…while giving ordinary people a greater stake in shaping their region. 

Only with strong local leadership and empowered institutions will we fix the foundations of the economy…

…and bring about the kind of economic growth that is at the very heart of our ‘Plan for Change’.

But it would be a mistake to think that the UK Government is only concerned with England. 

We are a government of and for the whole of the UK. 

My own constituency is in Wales…

…and many of my ministerial colleagues are from Scotland. 

But even if we weren’t, the UK Government has a responsibility for the entire UK. 

Which is why the nations are – and always will be – at the heart of our thinking.

In fact, an important part of delivering on our missions is rebuilding the UK Government’s  relationship with the devolved governments. 

We’re putting an end to the disrespect that has been shown to the legitimate devolved Governments and Parliaments…

…and focusing on a future built on partnership and recognition. 

We introduced the Council of the Nations and Regions…

…which creates genuine partnership between the UK Government, the devolved governments, and the mayors of England’s regions. 

This has met twice since the General Election, most recently on 23rd May…

…when the discussion was on trade and AI…

…and how we can harness its potential and use it across the public sector to improve services.

It’s about letting local leaders have more of a say…

…and we will work together across the UK on legislation…

…strengthening the Sewel Convention, which defines how the UK Government interacts with devolved legislatures.  

A new Memorandum of Understanding will underpin this work. 

It has been 25 years since power was devolved to governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland…

…and it is through strengthening this partnership that we can make sure that all UK-wide decisions don’t just benefit one part of our nation…

…but are made in the national interest – with every region and nation contributing, and shaping, that interest.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to thank you for joining me today…

…and UCL, for putting on this important conference. 

Outside of these four walls, the phrase ‘constitutional reform’ may not immediately mean much to the ordinary person.

But they are more than familiar with the rationale for it. 

Politics that feels divorced from their day-to-day lives…

…decisions about their local area being made in another nation…

…a system that seems to safeguard a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ approach to public life. 

All that has to change…

…and this Government is making that a reality. 

We are serious about ensuring our political systems represent every member of our society.

This isn’t going to be an overnight change…

…but we have shown – whether it’s in the Lords, the Commons or in our approach to devolution, this is a Government that has heard the calls for change.

People want to have more of a stake in how they live their lives…

…and they want a system of Government that represents and empowers them. 

Through our constitution’s historic foundations, we are building a modern and thriving society…

…one that serves the people of this country better than before.

Thank you very much.