British Constitution

It used to be a test for drunkenness. Bertie Wooster, suspected by an aunt of being tight, was made to say it, and having got that right was only able to prove his sobriety by saying, if I remember rightly, 'She stands outside Fotheringham's Fish Sauce Shop, welcoming him in'.

Anyway we are due to hear a bit about the Constitution today, it is rumoured, in Gordon Brown's first Queen's Speech. This is the bit, if you remember, where he sets out his 'vision'.

So here is a suggestion or two.

House of Lords: 80% elected, the rest a minimal number of political appointees, enough to keep parliamentary business flowing, and ex-officio members, such as a couple of bishops, the Chief Rabbi, Head of the Muslim Council, former Prime Ministers and other holders of the Great Offices of State, Law Lords, Governor of the Bank of England, Head of the National Trust etc etc. Everyone to retire at age 75.

Voting: House of Lords Commission to oversee voting, prevent fraud, introduce new voting methods such as by computer etc

Referenda: Any constitutional change put to the people in a referendum. House of Lords committee to rule on what is a constitutional change (eg changes to Habeas Corpus in Anti-terrorism measures)

West Lothian Question: English Grand Committee as suggested by Rifkind, only English MPs to vote on purely English laws; Scottish Executive to be given tax raising powers.

Abolish Human Rights Act and submission of English Courts to European ones.

Well, that's a start.

Something tells me that none of the above will be in it. I am also guesing that there will be a few surprises, and that Gordon Brown will come out of it marginally better but not much. We shall see.