The time has come to complete the unfinished business of constitutional reform. We must move beyond piecemeal changes and build a new, fully elected upper chamber that is truly fit for the 21st century. This new chamber would not only provide a powerful democratic check on the House of Commons but would also serve as the beating heart of a federal Britain
Some counties, like Yorkshire, possess the identity, culture, and critical mass to stand as a region in its own right, with a distinct economic engine and a population larger than Scotland. Other counties would be at liberty to form clusters, with the consent of their populations, to create new county regions with a shared identity and governance.
The UK has historically been one of the most centralized countries in the Western world, with Westminster politics and Whitehall bureaucracy deeply ingrained in almost every aspect of public life. This centralized model of public service delivery has been “tested to destruction,” leading to a lack of excellence and proving both ineffective and expensive due to attempts to micromanage services from the centre
