Why I’m supporting a written constitution for the UK

A written constitution for the UK is overdue. Now is the time to vest sovereign power in the people so they can understand and commit with confidence to a constitution which explicitly sets out the overall framework of reference for the United Kingdom within which parliamentary democracy and the governance of decision making can develop .

The present crisis of confidence and trust in politicians and political parties has undoubtedly strengthened the case for a written constitution for the United Kingdom.

A written constitution would bring in its train a number of important advantages to the UK as a whole, the picture of whose potential and needs are currently almost exclusively defined by London -centric media. The constitutuion should set out our common rights and responsibilities as citizens based on shared values and the commitment to cohesion, both economic and social.

This would express the commitment to engage the active participation of citizens in building the best possible living and working conditions for all parts of the United Kingdom.

Central to the objective of cohesion in such a written constitution is the need to recognize the distinctive contribution and potential of the four country-nations which make up the UK.

This should anchor the principle of subsidiarity firmly in the constitution ( so beloved of U K politicians when discussing the EU!), to empower the local and regional levels as well as setting out the principles of governance for the four nations.

The constitution would make clear that where decisions only affect the individual nations in respect of the policies devolved to them, the people of the countries concerned should have the right to decide for themselves.

This applies of course to all the nations but my concern is to have the constitutional assurance that the people of Wales can determine for themselves the governance arrangements in respect of the policy areas devolved to Wales in 2006.

The people of Wales need to know with confidence that the National Assembly of Wales has the tools necessary to do its job effectively on their behalf without unproductive and often conflictual Westminster interference.

This would ensure a healthy and vibrant democratic development which in turn would oblige the National Assembly to explain and justify its policy decisions to the people of Wales.

The legal certainty which would be provided by a written constitution could serve to avoid endless speculation, fostered mainly by the opponents of devolution.

That devolution is necessarily a slippery slope to independence, and would lead to the automatic break-up of the UK. It is not. In my view, the contrary could emerge.

An open , transparent framework of governance for the UK which firmly anchors devolution as an accepted part of the overall architecture , building on the rich diversity of the nations (and indeed other citizens) within the UK, would be a strong asset for the future harmonious development UK as a whole.

Hywel Ceri Jones is a former Director General with the European Commission and now a member of Cymru Yfory/Tomorrow's Wales Steering Group. You can vote for a written constitution for the UK here.