Constitutional Reform Since 1997

The election of Tony Blair's New Labour government in 1997 ushered in the most significant programme of constitutional reform since the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949. This lesson examines the key reforms, their motivations, their impact, and the debates they have generated. You also need to consider how the reform agenda continued — or stalled — under subsequent governments.

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Why Reform?

By 1997, there was a widespread perception that the UK's constitutional arrangements were outdated and overly centralised. Key criticisms included:

• Excessive executive power — Lord Hailsham's "elective dictatorship" critique.
• Undemocratic institutions — The House of Lords was dominated by hereditary peers.
• Weak rights protection — No domestic Bill of Rights; citizens had to go to Strasbourg to enforce ECHR rights.
• Over-centralisation — All power concentrated at Westminster; no elected regional government.
• Lack of transparency — The Official Secrets Act and a culture of government secrecy.

Labour's 1997 manifesto promised a comprehensive programme of modernisation, and it delivered on many (though not all) of its pledges.

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Key Reforms

1. The Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA)