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THE MEGA CARTA

The Magna Carta was presented to King John by the Archbishop of Canterbury in June 1215. It was a revolutionary moment: the powers of England’s monarchy were limited and ‘free men’ had the right to a fair trial. One of history’s most celebrated documents, it shaped Britain’s political system and inspired many other constitutions: its core principles are echoed in the US Bill of Rights (1791), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the European Convention on Human Rights (1950). Though most clauses have now been repealed, it remains a cornerstone of the British constitution. To celebrate the Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary, and ahead of this month’s election, Katie Gatens asked influential thinkers to contribute one new rule that would improve Britain. Illustration by Ben Jennings

NICK CLEGGDEPUTY PRIME MINISTER*

‘Rather than a new idea, I want to improve something we currently have. I disagree with those who want us to leave the European Union. While I think Europe is in need of reform, it is vital for our economy that we stay part of the largest single market in the world. And apart from creating jobs and boosting prosperity, being part of the EU means no faffing around with visas and landing cards before you start your holidays.’

FAY WELDONAUTHOR

‘There should be a flat-rate income tax rate as in Hong Kong – set at, say, 20 per cent – which no one could avoid or evade, with the exception of the poorest who would be required to pay nothing. The economy would be stimulated, the government would arguably collect more money than now and wouldn’t have to pay for an expensive tax-collecting bureaucracy, and taxpayers would have no, or negligible, accountancy bills.’Fay Weldon’s new book Mischief (£16.99, Head of Zeus) is out now.

JON SNOWBROADCASTER, CHANNEL 4 NEWS

‘We should halve the number of MPs and use the money saved to pay the rest a proper rate. Insist on 50 per cent quotas for women. End the adversarial arrangement and replay with a co-operative horseshoe seating arrangement. Elect the Upper House.’

SIR TIM BERNERS-LEEINVENTOR OF THE WORLD WIDE WEB

‘The web is as important to democracy today as the Magna Carta was 800 years ago. It’s time to create a new Magna Carta for the internet to make sure that no government or company can take away our freedom and privacy online. This is too important to sit back and wait for politicians to do it. We, the internet users of the world, should build the Magna Carta ourselves – and the web gives us the tools to do it.’ 

SHAMI CHAKRABARTIDIRECTOR OF LIBERTY

‘Laws should benefit society, not glorify those acting amid hysteria. Hence, I’d ban rushed legislation. The longer the parliamentary passage, the more considered the legislation. Take the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act (2014), enacted in a week and granting the government astonishing surveillance powers. Indeed our greatest triumph, the Human Rights Act, came into force three years after its introduction.’ 

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PAUL STAINESEDITOR OF THE GUIDO FAWKES BLOG

‘Habeas corpus can be traced back to the Magna Carta: “No man shall be arrested or imprisoned... except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land”. In this age we need ‘habeas digitus’, guaranteeing that no man’s digital communications may be spied upon without a specific lawful order made by a judge. Bringing to an end the untrammelled generalised spying on the innocent public by both GCHQ and the NSA, as revealed by Edward Snowden.’

YASMIN ALIBHAI-BROWNCOLUMNIST

‘The House of Lords is detached and reeks of pomposity and privilege. So, one day a month, citizens should take the place over. Selections could be through a lottery or online application process. Citizen Lords and Ladies would get the daily allowance (£300) and debate a bill. Maybe dress up in ermine, too. A rota would be set up so that experienced peers would be present to explain the procedures. It would be a very British revolution, pragmatic and effective.’

STANLEY JOHNSONFORMER CONSERVATIVE MEP AND AUTHOR

‘We need a Magna Carta for animals. A recent World Wildlife Fund survey revealed that global wildlife populations have more than halved during the past 40 years. If we can’t look after animals and their habitat, we shall never learn to look after people.’ The second volume of Johnson’s memoir,  Stanley I Resume: Further Recollections of an Exuberant Life (£19.99; The Robson Press) is out now; therobsonpress.com

BILLY BRAGGMUSICIAN AND ACTIVIST

‘The revolutionary idea behind Magna Carta is that no one, no matter how powerful, is above the law. What we sorely need today is a new Magna Carta that holds executives individually accountable for the behaviour of corporations, not just to their shareholders but to society as a whole.’

GEORGE THE POETSPOKEN WORD ARTIST

‘Schools should introduce more lessons on the importance of business enterprise and good governance. By engaging young people with these issues on this level at the earliest stage in their education, we will build a nation of problem-solvers.’

BARONESS DOREEN LAWRENCE OF CLARENDONCAMPAIGNER

‘The responsibility of leadership is to protect our people. But protecting people begins with championing each person’s value. By being clear we share a common humanity – and by having compassion for one another. We all accept the basic human truth: everyone is born equal. Right now, that’s not true. To paraphrase Nelson Mandela, it can help us hate a little less and love a little more.’

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JUSTINE ROBERTSFOUNDER OF MUMSNET.COM

‘I’d suggest introducing an obligatory Women in Media Day on which no one is allowed to comment/write about a woman’s appearance unless it’s strictly relevant to the piece and stories about thigh gaps, wrinkles and cankles are strictly verboten.’

AL MURRAYCOMEDIAN AND POLITICAL CANDIDATE

‘It’s simple really. What a good government might think to do for a change is do nothing. To take a year or two to just have a look, figure out how stuff works, and what – if anything – needs doing. Rather than crashing around with the endless urge to be seen to be doing something, how about they take stock, hold that thought and sleep on it? Common sense.’ Al Murray is standing against Nigel Farage at the general election.

EVIE WYLDAUTHOR

‘I would make sure that no one involved in decision making that affects the NHS stood to personally benefit from increased private contracting. The NHS is one of the wonders of the world.’ 

JAMAL EDWARDSENTREPRENEUR AND FOUNDER OF SB.TV

‘There should be a day where everyone smiles at people. Small interactions make you happy. I met a guy the other day who just started talking to me on the street, he said he’s usually a closed person who has made it a challenge to talk to ten strangers every week. It would make us expand horizons and help us to be more connected and appreciative of people from other walks of life. People should venture out of their comfort zone and see what’s out there.’

JEREMY VINEAUTHOR, JOURNALIST AND NEWS PRESENTER

‘We should stop pretending that digital technology has improved our lives and see it for what it is: a disaster from top to bottom. Infinite search-and-store is altering our memory; screen addiction has eradicated the two vital components of childhood, fresh air and boredom. So I would suggest a one-year national blackout of handheld devices, starting with iPads. I realise this is somewhat impractical though.’ 

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LAURA BATESFOUNDER OF EVERYDAY SEXISM WEBSITE

‘We should teach every young person about sexual consent and healthy relationships before they leave school. Far too much emphasis is put on the biology of sex, and not enough on developing a healthy, equal relationship with another person.’

EVAN DAVISECONOMIST, JOURNALIST AND BBC PRESENTER

‘Make volunteering compulsory – or at least easy. Over the centuries, we’ve become used to being taxed. But how about we donate some time to others, as well giving our money to the government? Volunteering isn’t just good for the person helped; the evidence suggests it boosts the self-worth of the volunteer. If recently retired people could give four hours a week to the very elderly, we would cut the bills associated with ageing and we’d reduce social isolation.’ 

JUSTIN WEBBPRESENTER, BBC RADIO 4 TODAY

‘We need to grow up. One of the great features of modern democracy is the disconnect between the instant gratification we demand from our gadgets and the slow endlessly disappointing business of governing and being governed. We need to understand that government is not a smartphone. Clashes and inefficiencies and slow processes are part of what gives democracy its strength and legitimacy. So let’s all of us give our politics a chance to breathe and, imperfectly but inexorably, to deliver.’

EKOW ESHUNWRITER AND CULTURAL COMMENTATOR

‘End the monarchy. In a stroke, Britain would become a more open, meritocratic society. One of the most frequently voiced objections to republicanism is what would we have instead if we got rid of the Queen? The answer is, faith in each other. Rather than the ritual geneflecture to our unelected betters that underpins our class-based society, we would become a nation that celebrates opportunity for all. We would become citizens, not subjects.’ 

EVGENY LEBEDEVCHAIRMAN AND OWNER OF THE EVENING STANDARD, i AND THE INDEPENDENT

‘I would like to celebrate true free expression and declare a war against self-censorship. The 24-hour news cycle makes the political class terrified to tell us what they think. This damages democracy. A pervasive political correctness makes much of the media class terrified to tell the truth. This damages our culture. It’s a vicious cycle. I want all opinions – offensive or otherwise – free to roam in Britain’s public life.’

MALORIE BLACKMANCHILDREN’S LAUREATE

‘We need to introduce a cultural package in schools that ensures that all children have the chance to learn a musical instrument (for free), visit a museum, an art gallery, attend a theatre play and a concert, at least once a year every year.’

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We are giving away 40 tickets for the British Library exhibition. To enter, visit highlife.ba.com/magnacarta

SEE YOU ONLINE...GREAT BRITS

DAN SNOWHISTORIAN

‘The executive, headed by the prime minister should be separated from the legislature, and should be directly elected by all citizens of the UK; in the House of Commons, our utterly outdated electoral system should be overhauled to ensure that the proportion of MPs reflects the proportion of votes their party receives.’  

RICHARD CURTISSCREENWRITER AND DIRECTOR

‘The single most excellent constitutional change that I could imagine has happened this year – when the UK Government committed, by law, to 0.7 per cent of Britain’s annual national income being spent on international development. If all other countries followed, how many lives would be saved and intractable problems suddenly move towards solution. It’s a source of huge national pride to me.’

EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELFKing John sealed the Magna Carta at Runnymede, beside the Thames near Windsor, Berkshire. There will be a series of events at Runnymede, a National Trust-protected site, to mark the anniversary from June to September. Meanwhile, the British Library’s exhibition Magna Carta: Law, Liberty Legacy runs until 1 September where all four remaining copies of the original 1215 document are on display (bl.uk).

JOHN COOPER CLARKEPUNK POET

‘Every time a new law is drafted, you should have to rescind three old ones. The Blair government introduced one new one every four hours he was in power. I’d have less laws and more manners. Life is made more miserable by habitual bad manners, than it is by criminality. Bad manners are like a dripping tap of day-to-day misery.’

TERRY JONESACTOR AND FILM DIRECTOR

‘I think we should ditch democracy and go back to having a king. Democracy means wheedling up to the public. I don’t think democracy works.’

entertainment

Listen to Billy Bragg’s Life’s a Riot with Spy Vs Spy, on board (selected flights).And watch Richard Curtis’s Notting Hill, on board (selected flights).