Burnham backed a written constitution and Labour held…

Burnham backed a written constitution and Labour held Manchester

02.08.2026 17:01 HotInfo 25

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, after taking over from Keir Starmer, has opened another constitutional topic by expressing support for adopting a written constitution for the United Kingdom. The country has so far been governed by a body of statutes, judicial precedents and international treaties, rather than a single binding constitutional document. teraz.sk ↗

This new development adds to his government's initial priorities, which include social care reform, devolution, energy and defence. Burnham has already invited the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to talks on funding social care, has not ruled out raising taxes, and has stressed that the system needs to be fixed before a debate on assisted dying is opened. At the same time, he wants to give mayors of English city regions a share of income tax and of revenue from business taxes, which has drawn criticism over the uneven impact on regions. irozhlas.cz ↗

Meanwhile, Labour achieved a clear victory in the by-election for Mayor of Greater Manchester. Bev Craig will replace Burnham after winning 309,525 votes, while her rival received 157,178 votes. The result bolstered claims of a so-called "Burnham effect," although election analyst John Curtice noted that its scale is not large. teraz.sk ↗

The prime minister is also reconsidering a plan to limit jury trials in England and Wales and is facing pressure from Labour MPs and mayors who are demanding the conversion of failing water companies into non-profit cooperatives. Further developments will show whether Burnham can combine constitutional change, social reform and devolution without a fresh dispute over taxes and regional powers. hnonline.sk ↗