How Labour is changing the state of Britain
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Your support makes all the difference.Manifesto
commitment
The monarchy
"We have no plans to replace the monarchy"
Status quo
Pomp and ceremony, but Queen backs cutting pageantry.
Number of ladies-in-waiting
and attendants reduced
Proposed
reforms
Government favours
"modernising" the monarchy
Action
so far
Government supports Queen's moves to make monarchy more accessible. Advised Buckingham palace on handling the death of Diana
Opposition
Conservative MPs and palace courtiers
What happens
next
Civil List comes up for reform in 2001
House of Lords
"The right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords will be ended by statute." Legislative powers of the House of Lords will remain unaltered
A second legislative chamber of hereditary peers, life peers and bishops
Forthcoming Queen's Speech will announce removal of voting and speaking rights of
hereditary peers in the next session of parliament
Two-stage reform begun to get rid of hereditary peers and establish a "more democratic and representative" legislative second chamber
Hereditary peers
Royal commission to look at next stage
Scottish devolution
"For Scotland we propose the creation of a Parliament with law- making powers"
Scotland's MPs sit at Westminster. Scottish Office responsible for framing policies for Scotland
New parliament will have
tax-raising powers and will
pass laws
Scottish referendum last year voted in favour of Edinburgh parliament
Conservatives reject "splitting up" the union
First Scottish election will take place in May 1999
Voting reform
"We are committed to a referendum on the voting system for the House of Commons"
First-past-the-post system linked to constituencies for
Westminster elections
PR for MEPS, Scottish parliament and Westminster, with different variations on the
system
Jenkins Commission report published last week backed
"AV-top-up" - two votes per voter for different types of MP
Conservative party; Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU); backbench Labour MPs; Cabinet ministers Margaret Beckett and Jack Straw
Referendum on electoral
reform; review of electoral boundaries
Civil Service
Not mentioned
Civil servants are supposed to be politically neutral.
Most selected following
stringent entrance exams
Recruitment of more ethnic
minorities to the Foreign Office and other departments
None
Information officers forced out say Government has made civil service more partisan and
political
Recruitment campaign to
attract under-represented groups
Honours system
Not mentioned
Peerages, knighthoods, medals and other high awards traditionally for top people until John Major tried to make it classless
Blair also backing more honours for ordinary people; scrapping of Knights or Dames Grand Cross of the British Empire
Blair to give knighthoods even to low-ranking police officers who performed "outstanding acts". Head teachers who turn around problem schools will be made Sirs and Dames
Academics and traditionalists oppose "tinkering" with
honours system
Abolition of obscure historical medals. Replacement of
"empire" honours with
"commonwealth" honours
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