MPs should be awarded Queen's historic powers, says Campbell

Gordon Brown has been urged to abolish many of the Queen's remaining powers over the way Britain is governed as part of a wide-ranging new constitutional settlement.

Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat leader, has challenged the prime minister-in-waiting to match his rhetoric on reform by introducing a radical package of measures to allow Parliament to hold the Government to account. He also called for a constitutional convention, including ordinary people as well as politicians, to draw up a new settlement - a move already being considered by Mr Brown, who has promised changes to bridge the gap between politicians and the the public.

In a letter to Mr Brown, Sir Menzies proposed that the monarch's historic powers under the Royal Prerogative, most of which are exercised by ministers without the need for parliamentary approval, should be handed to MPs.

The Liberal Democrats want a new government to take office only after its programme has been approved by the Commons, replacing the current system of royal appointment. This could spell the end of the annual Queen's Speech, in which the monarch reads out the Government's list of Bills.

They also want to limit a prime minister's power to seek a dissolution of Parliament so that a general election can be called, saying MPs should have to approve one. This would have allowed MPs to call a vote on whether there should be an election after Mr Brown succeeds Tony Blair this month.

The Royal Prerogative powers remained shrouded in secrecy until 2003, when the Government finally published a list of them. Many are never used and would cause a constitutional crisis if they were - for example, if the monarch refused Royal Assent to an Act of Parliament, which has not happened since the days of Queen Anne.

The powers range from the right to declare war or a state of emergency and to pardon offenders and deny people passports to quirky measures guaranteeing "crown ownership" of wild unmarked swans in open and common waters and "royal fish" - sturgeon, dolphins, porpoises and whales.

Sir Menzies told Mr Brown he was "heartened" by his plans for a Constitutional Reform Bill, and that he believed it would be possible to forge a broadly based consensus. "There is an urgent need to re-engage people with the institutions of government which require reform in order to engender popular trust," he said. "The emphasis should be that sovereignty should rest with the people in Parliament, replacing the current concept of sovereignty residing in the Queen in Parliament.

"A bold statement along these lines would seize the public imagination and point the way forward. Liberal Democrats would offer their wholehearted support for such an initiative."

Sir Menzies proposed that select committees be given more powers; a Civil Service Act to rein in political advisers; the restoration of collective decision-making by the Cabinet; devolving powers from central to local government and reviewing the role of MPs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at Westminster.

He called for the House of Lords to be replaced urgently by a wholly or predominantly elected second chamber, and for a proportional voting system at general elections.

Although the Royal Prerogative powers have gradually been taken away from the monarch, reformers say they have not been handed to the people. Tony Benn, the former Labour cabinet minister, has said: "In practice, power has now moved to the Prime Minister who then, exercising the powers of the Crown without explicit consent from Parliament, dominates the whole system."

How the Royal Prerogative works

* WAR

Although Tony Blair allowed MPs a vote on the eve of the Iraq war in 2003, he did not need to because the Prime Minister exercises the monarch's powers. Gordon Brown has already promised to guarantee Parliament a vote before any future wars.

* TREATIES

Ministers can sign treaties which have not been published or debated in Parliament. This allowed the Attlee government to commit Britain to nuclear weapons and American bases to be set up without the approval of MPs.

* DISSOLVING PARLIAMENT

The two main powers still used by the Queen are to dissolve Parliament and appoint a prime minister (important in the event of a hung parliament). The Liberal Democrats say the Prime Minister should require Parliament's support to call a general election.

* APPOINTMENTS

A wide range of senior appointments to the armed forces, security services, Civil Service and judiciary are covered. The Prime Minister exercises the power of the Queen to appoint archbishops and bishops, but Mr Brown plans to give "operational independence" to the Church of England.

* HONOURS

The honours system depends on Crown Prerogative, with MPs having no say in the matter.

* IMMUNITY

Ministers can grant public interest immunity certificates, which enable them to withhold from the courts information which others might judge crucial.