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. It proposed abolishing the British monarchy, with the United Kingdom becoming a "democratic, federal and secular Commonwealth of Britain", or in effect a republic with a codified constitution. It was read in Parliament a number of times until Benn's retirement in 2001, but never achieved a second reading. Under the Bill:

• The monarchy would be abolished and the constitutional status of the Crown ended;
• The Church of England would be disestablished;
• The head of state would be a President, elected by a joint sitting of both Houses of the Commonwealth Parliament;
• The functions of the Royal Prerogative would be transferred 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 devolved National Parliaments with responsibility for devolved matters as agreed;
• County Court judges and magistrates would be elected; and
• British jurisdiction over Northern Ireland would be ended.

See also

• Republicanism in the United Kingdom
• Common Sense (book)

References

• Benn, Tony; Hood, Andrew (1993), Winstone, Ruth (ed.), Common Sense, Hutchinson, ISBN 0-09-177308-3
• Benn revives Bill to replace monarch with a president The Independent, 12 December 1992