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THE UNWRITTEN CONSTITUTION

In 1689, just 38 years after the Civil War and immediately following the Glorious Revolution, John Locke defined the English political settlement in his Second Treatise on Government:

…the legistative cannot transfer the power of making laws to any other hands. For it being but a delegated power from the people, they, who have it, cannot pass it over to others. The people alone can appoint the form of the Commonwealth, which is by constituting the legislative, and appointing in whose hands that will be.

That’s the heart of the UK’s unwritten Constitution:

No Act of Parliament may be made secure from amendment or repeal by a future Parliament.

Brown’s government has broken this covenant:

Gordon Brown has consistently ruled out a referendum on the (EU constitutional) treaty, which will abolish dozens of national vetoes and create the new posts of EU president and foreign policy chief.

(I have sent an Email of this article to my own MP and to the Labour, Liberal and Conservative Headquarters)

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