The Constitution: Into the Sidings

There continue to be fitful attempts by the government at further constitutional change, with mixed results. The Lord Chancellor set out the next steps in Labour’s reform programme, but failed to satisfy parliamentarians. Lords’ reform was postponed until after the next election, but the Law Lords will leave the Lords, if the Constitutional Reform Bill is enacted before the election. It provides for a new Supreme Court and modifies the office of Lord Chancellor, but was significantly amended in the Lords. The most important change in Scotland was the breaking of the link between Scottish Parliament and Westminster constituencies, reducing the number of Scottish MPs from 72 to 59. The Richard Commission conducted a radical review of the Welsh devolution settlement, recommending primary legislative powers, a new voting system and an Assembly of 80 members. In Northern Ireland it remains suspended and the initiative to set up elected English regional assemblies ended when the North East-the only region to hold a referendum-overwhelmingly rejected the proposal in November 2004. Freedom of information rights were implemented from 1 January 2005: ground rules were set and more than 100,000 public bodies prepared for FoI requests.