2015 - Love Locked
The UK constitution has evolved over the centuries. It has never been codified in a single document, as in many countries, which in some ways has made it easier to accomplish changes in response to political circumstances. For example, after a battle with the Liberal Government over the ‘People's Budget', the power of the House of Lords to block legislation was substituted by a power to delay legislation. That power was modified again in the Parliament Act 1949 after a further tussle with the Labour Government.
Parliament's role in the United Kingdom has also evolved. Over the centuries, England's Parliament changed its character, as representatives from Wales, Scotland and Ireland joined Westminster, following various Acts of Union. In 1922, the south of Ireland left the United Kingdom. ‘Home rule' was established in the north, although it was suspended during the Troubles from 1972. In 1998, the Northern Ireland Assembly was established under the Good Friday Agreement, and devolved arrangements were introduced in Scotland and Wales with the creation of the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales. After the 2014 Scottish independence referendum these arrangements, and the constitution, are likely to evolve once again.
