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:

    “The commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts.”
    —William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

    “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)

    “It is crystal clear to me that if Arabs put down a draft resolution blaming Israel for the recent earthquake in Iran it would probably have a majority, the U.S. would veto it and Britain and France would abstain.”
    —Amos Oz (b. 1939)

    “What I am anxious to do is to get the best bill possible with the least amount of friction.... I wish to avoid [splitting our party]. I shall do all in my power to retain the corporation tax as it is now and also force a reduction of the [tariff] schedules. It is only when all other efforts fail that I’ll resort to headlines and force the people into this fight.”
    —William Howard Taft (1857–1930)