Brown's constitutional reforms aim to restore public trust in politics

Sweeping reforms to the way Britain is governed have been outlined by Gordon Brown in an attempt to clean up politics and restore trust after the Blair era.

In his first Commons statement since becoming Prime Minister, Mr Brown promised a "new constitutional settlement for the 21st century". It could include a Bill of Rights and Duties setting out the rights and responsibilities of citizens and government and, eventually, Britain's first written constitution.

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Reformers welcomed the plans but the Tories questioned whether Mr Brown was the right man to restore trust after "breaking his promises" in 10 years as Chancellor.

Under immediate changes, the role of the attorney general will be changed so that Baroness Scotland of Asthal, the new holder of the post, will play no role in deciding whether Blair aides or Labour donors are prosecuted after the "cash for honours" investigation. But the attorney general would still be able to halt prosecutions on national security grounds, as happened during an investigation into alleged corruption over a BAE Systems arms contract for Saudi Arabia. A review of the attorney general's role may include whether his or her legal advice should generally be published. Lord Goldsmith's advice on the Iraq invasion was changed on the eve of the war.

Mr Brown's other plans include voting at weekends instead of Thursdays; lowering the voting age from 18 to 16; relaxing the ban on demonstrations near Parliament; transferring powers held by ministers in 12 areas to MPs - including going to war, approving treaties, dissolving parliament for an election and appointing senior public officials and allowing them greater oversight of the intelligence and security services. Ministers would lose their right to appoint bishops, judges--and even the Poet Laureate.

There would be a tougher code of conduct for ministers, with an independent adviser to investgate possible conflicts of interests, but the Prime Minister would retain the final decision on whether they should be sacked. In an attempt to re-engage the public, petitions gathering a certain number of signatures would have to be debated in parliament; citizen's juries would debate major decisions and more powers would be devolved.

Mr Brown said that a written constitution would require a "settled consensus" among parties and the public.

In the longer term, Mr Brown's agenda may include electoral reform and whether the House of Lords should be mainly elected.

David Cameron, the Tory leader, welcomed some of the ideas but told Mr Brown: "It's broken promises that are the cause of broken trust... people will ask how the person who broke this trust can be the person to mend it."

Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat leader, said Mr Brown had failed to address the need for a fair voting system.

Pam Giddy, director of the Power inquiry into Britain's ailing democracy, said: "This is the most serious response to democratic disengagement we've seen in a generation."

The key points

* Voting in general and local elections at weekends instead of Thursdays; voting age to be lowered from 18 to 16.

* A Bill of Rights and Duties to operate alongside the Human Rights Act; possible written constitution in the long term.

* Laws banning demonstrations near Parliament to be reviewed by Government, Metropolitan Police, the Mayor of London, Westminster City Council and MPs.

* National security strategy to be published regularly, setting out threats and objectives; the new National Security Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, to send "a clear message that at all times we will be vigilant and we will never yield".

* New Civil Service Act to protect neutrality of officials.

* Extension of local democracy including citizens' juries on major decisions; ballots on spending decisions; new community right to call for action.

* Advance notice of official statistics given to government departments cut from five days to one.

* Union Flag reclaimed from extremists by allowing it to be flown on government buildings on more than the current 18 days a year.

* Tighter code of conduct for ministers, policed by a more powerful independent adviser reporting annually to Parliament.

* Powers held by ministers to be surrendered to MPs or limited in 12 areas including those to: declare war; request the dissolution of Parliament; recall Parliament during its recess; ratify international treaties; make key public appointments; restrict parliamentary oversight of the intelligence services; choose bishops; appoint judges; direct prosecutors in criminal cases; control the Civil Service; fix the rules on entitlement to passports, and on granting pardons.