Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signaled his support for establishing a written constitution for the UK, a country that currently lacks a single authoritative constitutional document. Burnham, who took office just two weeks ago and previously served as mayor of Greater Manchester, has prioritized devolving power to regional authorities as part of his administration’s agenda.

“In the end, I think it does start to point towards a new constitutional settlement,” Burnham said regarding his devolution plans. He called for a “new clear set of principles about how this country should be run,” emphasizing the need for a written constitution — a position he has advocated even before becoming prime minister. Burnham stated, “It’s wrong that people are left arguing for things that are just fundamental … and the lack of a constitution disempowers places in that situation.”

Unlike most countries, Britain is governed by a patchwork of statutes, common law judgments, and treaties rather than a single written constitution. The movement toward a written constitution is relatively recent, with former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who served from 2007 to 2010, being an early proponent.

In addition to constitutional reform, Burnham vowed his government will be "relentless" in tackling small boat crossings across the English Channel. He noted that crossings are down by 50% compared with the same period last year, despite Britain recording its highest daily arrival figure of 2026 last week.

Burnham’s dual focus on constitutional change and border security highlights his administration’s early policy priorities.

Sources