Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has argued that the UK's recent devolution agreements strengthen the case for adopting a written constitution, according to The Guardian. His comments come as new plans would give regional mayors a share of income tax revenue.
The Guardian reports that Burnham made the link between the two issues amid a broader push to decentralise power from Westminster. The proposal to allocate a portion of income tax to regional mayors was announced by the prime minister, with the government stating the goal is to improve living standards across every postcode, as detailed in an official GOV.UK release.
The initiative has drawn mixed reactions. The BBC notes that Burnham has faced criticism over the income tax-sharing plan, while The Telegraph has characterised the move as "Potemkin devolution," suggesting it may be more symbolic than substantive. The government's own announcement frames the policy as a direct way to give local leaders more financial control.
Burnham's argument appears to be that as more fiscal and political powers are handed to local leaders, the current unwritten constitutional arrangements become less workable. He suggests that a codified constitution would better define the relationship between central government and newly empowered regional bodies.
The debate highlights a growing tension in UK governance: while power is being devolved in practice, the constitutional framework remains largely uncodified. Whether the income tax proposals survive political scrutiny will likely determine how seriously the constitutional question is taken in the coming months.
