Labour conference and constitutional reform

The annual Labour party conference ended yesterday in Birmingham without a leadership contest. In spite of the numerous rumours which had dominated the media in the days and weeks before, no organised challenged took place. The Cabinet and party rallied grudgingly behind Gordon Brown, who gave a good speech at the conference. In the middle of the financial meltdown, it was difficult to force the PM out anyway.

Meanwhile, Chrys Bryant MP, who had been asked by Brown to examine a reform of the constitution, came up with the proposal to end the exclusion of catholics (and other religions) from the throne, which goes back to the Act of Settlement (1701). He also suggested putting an end to the primogeniture rule, meaning that if Prince William had a first daughter she would become queen (the present queen had no brother). If these proposals were to be adopted, they would probably lead to the disestablishment of the Church of England... almost a revolution !