Gordon Brown calls for a constitutional convention.

[TheOriginalHappyGoat]

This will probably fade away in short order, but for those of you who, like me, are fascinated by the changes in the UK, Brown's op-ed piece on the potential death of the Union is good reading. It's too short to connect all the dots clearly, but he ends with suggesting that it's time for the people of the UK to band together and put some federalist-style (and American-style, I daresay!) limits on government:

There is a way through. As a start, we should embed a new constitutional principle that recognises the real glue that – far more than flags or anthems – binds the country together: the pooling and sharing of risks and resources to uphold basic social and economic rights – from common pensions and free healthcare to guaranteed help when sick, unemployed or disabled – across the UK’s nations and regions. We should state clearly that whatever else any government at Westminster does, it will uphold – and even the most rightwing government will be unable to abandon – the principle of equity between the nations and regions, allocating resources on the basis of need, and that it will protect established social and economic rights.

A few years ago, I tried but failed to gain popular traction for a clear statement of the values that tie all four nations together– a first step to a written constitution for Britain. Now I would call for a constitutional convention to debate and set out the rights and responsibilities of citizens in each part of the UK.​

The UK has a Supreme Court now. There have been calls for an elected Senate for some years. I don't expect their government will ever look like ours, but there can be no doubt that the parent is at least taking lessons from the offspring.