There many arguments for and against Britain having a codified constitution but one could say that they are too rigid for such a time of social change. Firstly, a codified constitution is limited government and would cut the government down to size. A codified would effectively end the principle of parliamentary sovereignty and subsequently elective dictatorship. Both of which were shown in Blair and Thatcher’s Governments. It would also prevent the government to interfere with the constitution unfairly, as it would be protected by the existence of the higher law and the ‘supermajority’.
Yet that chaos in not the same as now, therefore the constitution must be interpreted loosely in a way that it fits society nowadays. Loose construction is based on the idea that the Founding Fathers could not have foreseen what the world would be like in the 21st Century, and that the Constitution must be interpreted in light of historic and societal change. Loose construction allows the government to expand powers that are not specifically outlined in the Constitution as long as these powers are not specifically prohibited. Society changed from day to day and the country has to be ready for when changes are made. If powers are not outlined in the constitution, then it is up to the government (courts, judges, etc.)
UK citizen are more informed and able to make analytical judgements in their best interest, this in turn, challenges the authority of the state to decide what is in our best interest. In light of these developments many UK citizens now want to be protected from the frequently exposed dangers of an uncodified constitution. On this basis it is fair to evaluate citizens need for safety overcomes the need for flexibility, thus a codified constitution is now needed to a large extent. Some argue the UK does not currently need a codified constitution because they already have a fragmented constitution. Where large parts of it are written down, in the laws passed in Parliament - known as statute law and ‘The Doctrine Of Parliamentary Sovereignty’ all of which clearly outline the laws, principles and established precedents according to how the UK is governed.
However, Parliament is sovereign and civil rights and liberties have been put suspended but only in the interests of law and order or national security. Unlike many other democracies, the government retains control over rights and freedoms of citizens. Democracy can lead to the abuse of power and there are fears that if those who govern are left to their own devices, they may claim substantial amounts of power and begin to abuse their position. By making governments accountable to the people, this can be prevented. Governments must submit themselves regularly to re-election and by guaranteeing that they are controlled by elected representatives, the people can feel safe from the corruption of power.
The rise of New Labour has been filled with controversy, with regards to extensive policy change as well as ideological change. It is certain that Labour has shifted, this is fact. However, the extent of how much Labour has changed and how far Labour has shifted, from its core Socialist roots has been questioned. During Labour's extensive time in the political compass, when Thatcher reigned supreme, a new group of reformers began to emerge within the Labour Party. They realised that in order to gain voters support, they would have to leave the core socialistic values of 'old' Labour behind.
The new right was radical departure from traditional conservatism because the policies on society are completely different. Traditional conservatives see society as organic, a natural state of civilisation, whereas the new right sees society, as no more than a collection of individuals. Thatcher famously stated ‘there is no such thing as society’. This enables us to argue the point that Thatcherism was radical departure from traditional conservatism. Furthermore, traditional conservatives support free markets but take a pragmatic view of economic management, believing that there are sometimes where state intervention is need.
As well, when he is talking about interest, he is referring to whatever may empower or benefit the ruling party, such as laws that can be passed. Thrasymachus also claims that it is in the interest of the ruled to be just, and as a society we must subordinate ourselves to the interests of someone in authority. From this, we can gather that while the ruled must be just and promote the interest of another, the ruler must
Power can lead anyone to be selfish. This is why we have to keep them contained. Andrew Kohut in his research paper “The people and their Governments” states “Rather than an activist government to deal with the nation’s top problems, the public now wants government reformed and growing numbers want its power curtailed. With the exception of greater regulation of major financial institutions, there is less of an appetite for government solutions to the nation’s problems –
Therefore, Neoliberalism is an ineffective Pro-Market approach to development that contributes to inequality and causes more harm than good for both the global south and north. This is due to 1st wave Thatcherism & Reaganomics, and market globalism of 2nd wave Neoliberalism. 1st wave Neoliberalism introduced the world to Neoliberal ideology; it can be characterized by two individuals: US president Ronald Reagan and England Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Both entering their position of power in the early 1980s each looked to deregulate and cut down on spending. Reagan’s core belief laid in government control and
The British constitution is still visible and it defines composition and powers of the main offices and institutions of the state. An uncodified constitution based on conventions has the advantage of being extremely adaptable or flexible. Since it is unwritten, it can be changed easily to deal with new situations. All that is necessary for the practises to be changed is for Parliament to agree that change is necessary. Old constitutional practises do not become 'millstones' that make it difficult to deal with changed circumstances.