Constitution debate packIn this Magna Carta 800 anniversary year, get your students thinking about what a UK written constitution could include.

This pack contains some prompts for debate, focusing on the different roles and responsibilities of the three parts of the UK Parliament today and possible options for the future.

Groups must argue for and against changes to the current system to explore the pros and cons of options that could be considered should a written constitution be produced.

About the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee

This resource has been produced using ideas first explored by the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee. This Committee spent the five year term of the 2010 Parliament looking at the path to possible codification of the United Kingdom’s constitution. This included exploring alternatives to the three parts of Parliament included in this pack, as well as options for further content that could be included in a written constitution, such as a Bill of Rights.

Working with the Centre for Constitutional and Political Studies, the committee published ‘A new Magna Carta?’, a comprehensive report offering options for codification, which the public has fed in to. The full report can be found here:

www.pub lica tion s.pa rliam en t.u k/pa /cm2 014 15 /cm se lect /cm po lcon /463 /463 .p df

A summary booklet was then produced to offer a brief description of the current constitutional arrangements and a number of options which emerged from the consultation. Some of the options in this booklet have been used as inspiration for this debating pack. The full booklet and further possible options used for the consultation can be found here and may be useful for further lessons:

w w w . pa r l ia m en t .u k / d o c um e n ts / c o m m o n s - c o mm i t t ee s / po l i tic a l -a nd - c on stit u ti onal - ref o r m / Th e - U K - Co n sti t u ti on . p d f

Introduction

Explain to the class that there is no current UK written constitution. They should imagine they are producing a new constitution for 2015 (the 800th anniversary year of Magna Carta) and today they will explore and debate possible options for the roles and responsibilities of the three parts of the UK Parliament. They must come to an agreement as a class, based on the debates held.

Get Debating!

Three sets of debate prompts are included below – the Head of State, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. You could hold just one debate, or all three, depending on the time available.

For each debate, split students into two or three groups and assign each group one option included below. Give the groups an allocated time to discuss the pros and cons of the option they have been given. If you have chosen three groups, one will have time to create their own alternative to the current system – prompt them to consider what they would change if they had the chance.

Once they have discussed both sides, their challenge now is to create a convincing argument to persuade others that their option would be best for the UK (regardless of whether they agree with it in reality!). They must use strong arguments and persuasive language to build a solid case. Once the preparation time is up, each group must present their argument, and if there is time answer questions from the opposite teams.

Once each alternative has been debated, hold a vote to see which option the class is most in favour of to decide what they would include in their 2015 written constitution– at this stage everyone must think objectively and make a choice based on the arguments.

Reflect

Once the vote has been held, take some time to reflect on the winning arguments – what made them so strong, was it the points made or the presentation style of the speaker, for example?

If you have time, or for homework activities, ask the group to consider what else they may include in a written constitution. You could use the summary booklet produced by the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee as inspiration.

The Head of State

Background information

The Head of State of the UK is currently the Monarch. This is a hereditary position, passed down from one member of the royal family to another.

The powers of the Head of State are formal, ceremonial and non-political. The Head of State exercises their powers on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Their responsibilities include granting assent to legislation approved by the Houses of Parliament, granting honours and titles and appointing the Prime Minister.

Debate options

Possible alternatives for the appointment of the Head of State:

Group 1: The Head of State will be directly elected by the people

Group 2: The Head of State role should stay the same

Group 3: The Head of State should change to… (Come up with your ownalternative)

The House of Commons

Background information

The House of Commons is the First Chamber of the UK Parliament.

The main functions of the House of Commons include representing the people of the UK, holding the Government to account, authorising taxation and debating public policies of and for the Government.

The role of a Member of Parliament includes participating in the work of the House of Commons, representing and furthering the interests of their constituency and representing individual constituencies and taking up their problems and grievances.

The House of Commons has 650 directly elected members, known as Members of Parliament, who are elected by the ‘First Past the Post’ voting system. This is a majority voting system in which the 'winner takes all' and usually gives a clear majority both at constituency and national level.

Debate options

Possible alternatives for the appointment of the House of Commons:

Group 1: The First Chamber will have a reduced number [500] of directly elected members, known as Members of Parliament. Members shall be elected by a different electoral system, agreed by the people in a referendum

Group 2: The House of Commons should stay the same

Group 3: The House of Commons should change to… (Come up with yourown alternative)

The House of Lords

Background information

The House of Lords is the Second Chamber of the UK Parliament and is composedof around 800 ‘Peers’ made up of mainly Life Peers, 92 Hereditary Peers and 26Lords Spiritual.

The main functions of the House of Lords are to hold the Government to account and to scrutinise, amend and approve bills as part of the legislative process.

Members of the House of Lords may resign their membership and there is no limit on the number of members of the House of Lords.

Debate Options

Possible alternatives for the appointment of the House of Lords:

Group 1: The Second Chamber shall have fewer [500] voting members, directly elected to represent in proportion the nations and regions of the United Kingdom. Members shall be elected for a period of fifteen years and [shall/shall not] be re-elected. The electoral system for elections to the Second Chamber and for vacancies shall be decided by each of the nations and regions of the United Kingdom

Group 2: The House of Lords should stay the same

Group 3: The House of Lords should change to… (Come up with your ownalternative)