In Scotland, first minister announces proposal for a written constitution

Scotland's first minister Humza Yousaf has announced proposals for a written constitution for an independent Scotland. [...] The government proposes an interim constitution would take effect on the day that Scotland becomes independent. A legally-mandated constitutional convention – an independent body set up by parliament and "representative of Scotland" – would draft a permanent constitution, adopting a "human rights-based approach", the paper says. [...] The permanent constitution could only be approved in a referendum of the Scottish people, the government proposes. If it was rejected, the interim constitution would remain in place until the parliament decided how to proceed, according to the plans. [...] The paper proposes several measures which the government believes should be included in any future constitution for an independent Scotland. These include recognition of the NHS in Scotland, giving Scots the right to access healthcare available for free at the point of need. It backs beefed-up protections for human rights and equality laws, including upholding the right to an adequate standard of living as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The right for workers to take industrial action would also be included under the plans, as would a constitutional ban on nuclear weapons being based in Scotland. A permanent constitution could set out provisions for a head of state, Scottish citizenship, the possible creation of a second chamber in the parliament and strengthened environmental protections, the paper suggests. Among the other proposals is support for a constitutional safeguard to "ensure that military deployments are made in a transparent and legitimate way".
Read the full article here: BBC News