Commonwealth of Britain Bill

The Commonwealth of Britain Bill was a bill first introduced in 1991 by Tony Benn, then a Labour Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. It proposed abolishing the British monarchy, with the United Kingdom becoming a "democratic, federal and secular commonwealth", in effect, a republic with a written constitution. It was read in Parliament a number of times until his retirement in 2001, but never achieved a second reading. Under the bill:

  • The constitutional status of the Crown would be ended;
  • The Church of England would be disestablished;
  • The head of state would be the President, elected by a joint sitting of both Houses of the Commonwealth Parliament;
  • Many functions of the Royal Prerogative would not be transferred to the President, but instead to Parliament;
  • The Privy Council would be abolished, and replaced by a Council of State;
  • The House of Lords would be replaced by an elected House of the People, with equal representation of men and women;
  • The House of Commons would similarly have equal representation of men and women;
  • England, Scotland and Wales would have their own National Parliaments;
  • County Court judges and magistrates would be elected; and
  • British jurisdiction over Northern Ireland would be ended.

Famous quotes containing the words commonwealth of, commonwealth, britain and/or bill:

    “We must conceive of this whole universe as one commonwealth of which both gods and men are members.”
    —Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.)

    “Was I not born in this Realm? Were my parents born in any foreign country?... Is not my Kingdom here? Whom have I oppressed? Whom have I enriched to other’s harm? What turmoil have I made to this Commonwealth that I should be suspected to have no regard of the same?”
    —Elizabeth I (1533–1603)

    “I’ll stay until I’m tired of it. So long as Britain needs me, I shall never be tired of it.”
    —Margaret Thatcher (b. 1925)

    “A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference.”
    —Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)