British Constitution

The British Democratic Alliance firmly believe the British Isles is long overdue for a fully ratified and codified in law written Constitution and British declaration of basic human rights. We acknowledge that there are many rights within the British Isles that are in writing, a good example is the Bill of Rights from 1660, and many people often cite Magna Carta (June 1215) as a source of citizen rights, but these are old documents, the world has changed, attitudes have changed and how we are governed has changed, and needs to change more.

Since these documents were written they have been supplanted by later legislation that incorporated these rights and privileges into law, but we believe it is time for a single document that can codify basic principles to protect citizens, prevent Government over reach and ensure that these principles are taught in schools but also so they can be held up by citizens of other nations as a template for what they may desire for their nation – The Bill of Rights 1660 was actually a blueprint for the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights which also became the blueprint for the Declaration of Independence of the USA.

There is no point rehashing the past and discussing the good and bad within the Magna Carta, Bill of Rights or even the USA Constitution, that will help no-one and the latter is for citizens of the USA to decide on changes – and we all know it needs them.

We propose the following.

The British Constitution and Human Rights Declaration Act

An Act to make provision for and to protect the rights of citizens of the British Isles, to declare that all citizens are created equal and have equal rights and that no individual, Government, agency thereof, officer thereof or any other body, group or organisation can remove or alter these rights, these rights are unalienable and fixed.

A Constitution for the Free Peoples of the British Isles

Preamble
We, the people of the British Isles, in order to establish justice, secure liberty, safeguard peace, promote the common good, and affirm the dignity of all persons, do hereby ordain and establish this Constitution and Declaration of Human Rights as the supreme law of these Islands.
Recognising the historical foundations of Magna Carta, the 1689 English Bill of Rights, the principles enshrined in the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, and the enduring legacy of the American Constitution, we assert that liberty, equality, and accountable governance are the eternal rights of all peoples.

Article I — Sovereignty of the People

  1. All political power resides in the people of these Islands.
  2. No person shall hold power by virtue of birth or unelected office.
  3. Government is instituted for the benefit, protection, and security of the citizens of the British Isles.
  4. The people have an inalienable right to alter or abolish any form of government that becomes destructive to their liberty or wellbeing, and to establish new governance founded on just principles.
  5. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Any law or action contrary to its provisions is null and void.

Article II — Rights and Liberties of Citizens

Section 1: Equality and Human Dignity

  1. All citizens of the British Isles are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
  2. No law, policy, or practice may deny, curtail, or infringe upon these rights based on race, sex, language, origin, religion, opinion, disability, age, or orientation.

Section 2: Civil and Political Rights

  1. Every citizen has the unalienable right to life, liberty, and personal security.
  2. Citizens shall be free from harassment, torture, cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment. This is to include psychological pressure by making false statements.
  3. No person shall be held in slavery or servitude or other bonded work against their will.
  4. The following are banned.
    1. Arbitrary arrest.
    2. Extra-Judicial detention
    3. Extra-Judicial execution
    4. No Citizen of the British Isles may be forced into exile, directly or indirectly, by the actions of any Government Official, department or agency or representative thereof.
  5. Every person charged with a penal offence shall have the right to a fair trial by an impartial and independent tribunal.
    1. All persons charged with a penal offence shall be presumed innocent until proven otherwise by an independent and impartial tribunal.
    2. The presumption of innocence is sacrosanct, all trial judges must inform juries that they must only find a person guilty of an offence “if the prosecution have proven their case beyond all reasonable doubt, and that if there is any doubt, they must find them not guilty”.
    3. All persons charged with a penal offence shall not have their liberty restricted unless, in a Court of Law,
      1. They can be shown to be a significant risk to the public, and/or
      2. They can be shown to be a significant risk to national security, and/ or
      3. They can be shown to be a flight risk from their home address, and/or
      4. They have no fixed home address, and/or
      5. They can be shown to be likely to commit further offences pending trial for this offence.
      6. All persons charged with Murder, terrorism, international espionage, human trafficking, multiple sexual offences, offences against children, narcotics and/or armaments smuggling shall be considered to automatically meet the requirements of (a), (b), (c) & (e) and may not be granted bail and shall be held in custody.
    4. If a person charged with a penal offence cannot afford legal representation, then the state must fund their legal expenses.
    5. No person may be interviewed by the Police or other security services without the presence of a registered and qualified legal representative of their choosing.
      1. Exceptions may be made where it is not a formal or recorded interview at a crime scene and the person is not a suspect.
      2. Where the person is a victim of a crime.
      3. Where the person is a witness to a crime.
      4. A person may not give up this right under any circumstances.
      5. No person detained or interviewed by a representative of the Police or security services may be forced to talk, they may elect to stay silent, and no inference may be made if they elect to not speak.
      6. The Police or other Security services may not enter any premises, unless.
        1. They hold a duly appointed warrant issued by a Judge.
        2. They have reason to believe that a person(s) may be in imminent, life-threatening danger.
        3. A person in that premises requires medical attention and is unable to assist themselves.
        4. They have been invited in by the legal occupant of that premises.
        5. For the sake of clarification, premises refers to any private home, commercial or industrial premises or any vehicle that the occupants may occupy, be in control of or own.
    6. No Police Officer or member of the security services may make false statements or claims to any person during an interview. Falsehoods and attempts to coerce information from an interviewee will be considered psychological abuse.
    7. There is to be no limit on the funds to be made available to mount a credible defence for any criminal proceedings so long as such funding is appropriate and accounted for.
    8. All information and documents, including crime scene images and investigations, Emergency services notes and reports, witness statements, call logs and any other information and material connected to the case must be accessible to the defence. None may be redacted, withheld or otherwise restricted.
      1. Witness statements may be identified with an anonymising code in cases where a Judge has ruled this is for the protection of witnesses, national security or to ensure Justice prevails unimpeded.
  1. A person charged with a penal offence may not be identified publicly by an individual or organisation unless they have been duly convicted in a Court of Law.
    1. An exception exists where the Police and/or security services require the assistance of the public to locate a known person wanted for questioning or may pose a real and present danger to the public.
  2. A person, who is a victim of a crime, may not be identified publicly by an individual or an organisation unless they have written permission from that person and such permission was not obtained under duress or financial inducement.
  3. No Law shall be passed that is retrospective and no citizen may be held liable for any actions taken that occurred ex facto any such laws.
  4. All personally identifiable information, including all images, fingerprints, biological evidence and intelligence related to any detained suspect must be destroyed by the Police and Security services, immediately, when charges are not filed, dropped or they are found not guilty of any crime in a court of law.
  5. No Person under the age of 10 years may be found liable for any penal offence.
    1. Exceptions may exist for murder, sexual offences or terrorism under special circumstances that must be demonstrated in an impartial and independent tribunal with the aid of child specialising psychologists before any charges may be levied against the individual.
  6. Police and Security services may not use automatic camera technology to trace or follow citizens, whether on foot, public transport or in private vehicles unless they have obtained a Courts’ Order (Warrant) and have presented credible information to justify such an intrusion.
    1. Credible evidence must not be suspicion or single witness.
    2. Evidence must be physical, security imagery, biological or information that is personally identifiable.
    3. It must show that a crime is to be committed, is in progress or has been committed.
    4. An exception may be made and a warrant obtained retrospectively within 24 hours in cases of immediate threat to life, national security threats, including terrorism, human trafficking and kidnap.
  7. Any person, convicted of any penal offence in a Court of Law, has the automatic right to appeal any such conviction, no matter how they pleaded.
    1. Any such appeal must lay out all legal grounds to justify any such appeal.
    2. A Judge may reject the appeal if the appeal if found frivolous or does not meet the standard of grounds required to appeal. Any such Judgement must be sent to the appellant and their legal representatives immediately and they shall have 30 days from date of receipt to appeal that decision.
    3. Any appeal must be heard within 60 days of application unless the appellant or their legal advisors request more time.
    4. Appeals shall be held at Crown Court, the Courts of Justice (Appeals Division), the Supreme Court and also the Criminal Cases Review Commission in that order.
    5. A person charged with a penal offence must have their case heard within 60 days of charges being filed.
      1. The defence may file a motion to delay the onset of the trial if the trial would be compromised without the delay to achieve the necessary evidence to allow for the proper defence of the accused to ensure the proper execution of justice.
      2. A Person who pleads, or is otherwise determined to be, guilty to any offence shall be presented to court with the following.
        1. A Probation Service Report to inform how any sentence will impact the person, whether they are a threat to society or an individual or their risk of recidivism.
        2. A Psychologist’s report to inform on the mental state of the person both at the time of the offence and following it, as well as any mental health issues that the person may have.
        3. Medical reports to inform of current medical conditions.
        4. An Educational level report.
        5. All reports must be filed with the Defence, the Prosecutor and the Court no later than 40 days following the plea hearing.
        6. Sentencing must take place no later than 30 days from the date of all reports being submitted.
  1. All persons above the age of 18 years, who are not incarcerated, detained on mental health grounds, in a coma or a permanent resident outside the British Isles, shall be required to vote in national and regional elections and referenda.
    1. Voting shall be compulsory,
    2. There shall be a provision for conscientious objection (Abstaining).
    3. If more than 35% of the voting population abstain from any vote in any election the election shall be declared void.
    4. Elections declared void are to be rerun within 90 days.
    5. Incumbent officials to remain in place until the completion of the new election.
    6. All candidates who participated in the void election are barred from standing is the rerun election and may not stand in any election for a period of not less than 5 years.

Section 3: Freedom of Thought and Expression

  1. All citizens shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
  2. All citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech, expression, and the press, subject only to limitations necessary to protect the rights of others and public order.
    1. The use of graphic language or profanity will not be made an offence.
    2. The use of language or actions used to incite violence by others shall not be protected under this section.
  3. The right to peaceful assembly and protest is guaranteed and shall not be infringed or restricted by any laws, local, regional, national or federal.
    1. The State may restrict such protests during times of national emergency or civil unrest.
    2. Protests may be stopped by the Police and/or security forces where they become violent.
  4. Citizens may form and join any lawful association, political association, trade union, or other body of their choosing.
  5. No citizen shall be compelled to join or support any political party or government organisation against their will.
  6. No citizen may be forced to join any union, trade body or other industry protection body against their will.
    1. Trade bodies that set salaries are banned.
    2. The Government shall establish independent trade registration bodies for services that require formal control for public safety.
    3. No citizen may be barred from working in their chosen career unless they have been demonstrated to present a public safety danger.

Section 4: Social Rights

  1. Every citizen has the right to free, public, politically and religiously neutral education, for no less than fifteen years.
  2. Every citizen has the right to free healthcare, accessible at the point of need.
  3. Every citizen has the right to own property, enter into contracts, and work in their chosen occupation, subject to reasonable limitations for public safety.
  4. Every citizen has the right to family life, to marry or cohabit freely with any other consenting adult, and to raise children in a secure and supportive environment.
  5. Citizens may not be stripped of their nationality without due process by an independent and impartial tribunal.
  6. Persons of other nations have the same fundamental rights as those who are UK citizens.
    1. They must enter the territory legally to gain full rights.
    2. They must not commit penal offences to maintain all rights.
    3. They may be deported if they are found to be in breach of (I) & (II) above.
    4. All persons seeking political asylum must do so before entering the territory or, if this is not possible, immediately upon their arrival in the territory. Failure to apply for asylum without good reason will render any application void.
    5. Persons entering the British Isles for business or personal visits do not have automatic right to medical services and must have medical insurance before they enter the territory. Failure to have insurance on arrival will be a reason to refuse entry.

Article III — Transparency and Governance

Section 1: Access to Government and Accountability

  1. Citizens have the right to access all data held on them by any government body.
  2. Citizens have the right to petition and receive a reply from their elected representative within 14 days.
  3. Any citizen may request information held by any public body and may appeal to an independent tribunal if refused or the information has been redacted in any way.
    1. Personally identifiable information for witnesses, reporting individuals, Police Officers and the Security Services may be redacted where that information may put their lives at risk or where it would impinge national security, the operation of the criminal justice system or interfere with the commission of Justice.
    2. Children may not be identified unless they are the biological children of the information requester. The identities of any other children must be anonymised and protected.
  4. All public finances must be published monthly and summarised annually, including all operational, capital, and departmental expenditures.
  5. No law shall be enacted that violates or undermines the rights set forth herein.

Section 2: Elections and Representation

  1. All elected officials shall be selected by majority vote.
  2. Citizens may stand for election without being affiliated to any political party.
  3. If 60% or more of the electorate in a jurisdiction call for a recall, the official must resign, and an election be held within 30 days.
  4. Office cannot be transferred without a democratic election, save in temporary succession, not exceeding 60 days, upon death, incapacity, or legal disqualification.
    1. This may be suspended by Parliament if the nation is in a declared state of emergency or armed conflict.
    2. Where any such election has been suspended as in (I) above, upon the termination of the state of emergency or armed conflict, the election must be completed within 60 days.
  5. Any official charged with any serious penal offence must resign their office immediately. Such offences for automatic resignation are.
    1. Sexual Offences
    2. Violence
    3. Theft
    4. Fraud
    5. Corruption in Public Office
    6. Murder
    7. Terrorism
    8. Insurrection
    9. Treason
    10. Perverting Justice
    11. Criminal Conspiracy
  6. Any Officer found guilty of any offence listed in (5) above will be barred from all public offices following their conviction.

Article IV — Justice and Disqualification from Public Office

  1. Citizens may not be barred from employment except in cases of proven threat to public safety or in accordance with professional regulatory standards.
  2. No person may hold public office if they have been convicted, in the British Isles or elsewhere, of:
    1. Sexual Offences
    2. Violence
    3. Theft
    4. Fraud
    5. Corruption in Public Office
    6. Murder
    7. Terrorism
    8. Insurrection
    9. Treason
    10. Perverting Justice
    11. Criminal Conspiracy
  1. Cautions will be disregarded if over 2 years old.
  2. Citizens may withhold disclosure of past penal offences under strict conditions outlined in law.
  3. Citizens who have not committed any penal offence for a period of not less than 10 years shall not be required to declare any such conviction except where the following apply,
    1. They were incarcerated for a period of not less than 5 years.
    2. It was for any of the following.
      1. Sexual Offences
      2. Terrorism
      3. Human Trafficking
      4. Drug Smuggling
      5. Armaments smuggling
      6. Insurrection
      7. Treason
      8. Financial crimes when relevant to employment.
      9. Criminal Conspiracy linked to any offences in (a) to (h)
    3. Except where the charged offence is of the same nature, Courts, Tribunals, the Police and Security services may not reference past penal convictions. A Court may waive this in instances of.
      1. National security
      2. Public Safety

Article V — Structure of Government

Section 1: Federal Representation

  1. The Parliament of the British Isles shall consist of three distinct branches – Parliament, the Senate and the Federal Government.
  2. The Parliament shall be the seat of Members of Parliament (MPs). See Amendment 1 for details.
  3. The Senate shall be made up of the Mayors and the Governors of the regions.
  4. The Federal Government shall be made up of the duly elected Federal President, the National Prime Minister of each nation, the selected representative of the BOATs, the Federal Overseas Minister, the federal Chancellor and the Minister for National Defence (Elected – head of armed services).
  5. The Federal Government shall only have jurisdiction over matters that cross national borders, be they within the British Isles or outside the British Isles. This shall include.
    1. National Defence
    2. National Police and Security Forces
      1. National Police Forces shall be limited to the following.
        1. Murder
        2. Terrorism
        3. Human Trafficking
        4. Armaments and narcotics smuggling
        5. Corruption in Public Office
        6. Federal Tax/duty offences
        7. Penal Offences across national borders.
    2. National Environmental Protection
    3. National Education
      1. Primary Education
      2. Secondary Education
      3. Higher Education
      4. Technical Education
      5. Medical Education
    4. Public Health
      1.  Pandemic planning
      2. Medical Research
      3. Disaster Planning
    5. National Mental Health
    6. The Economy.
      1. Sovereign Wealth Fund
      2. Taxation
      3. Pensions
      4. National Debt Management
      5. Annual budgets
  2. The Federal President or Government cannot make any laws that increase the powers of the federal government or the office of President.
  3. The Federal President or Government shall not employ the services of private soldiers, intelligence agents or any persons engaged in espionage or allow their use to be employed by any department, agency or organisation working on behalf of the British Isles.
    1. Limited exclusion applies at time of declared armed conflict.
    2. Excludes military intelligence gathering operations by uniformed persons under the direct command of the armed forces of the British Isles.
  4. The Federal President or Government cannot borrow funds unless approved by 65% of Parliament and 65% of the Governors chamber.
  5. The Federal President or Government may not circumvent the legal authority of any region or nation within the British Isles.
  6. The Federal President or Government may not enact any laws that circumvent the written constitution of the British Isles.

Article VI – Ethics

  1. The Federal Government, agency, officer or representative thereof, nor any privately owned organisation or a private individual may undertake any business or cooperation with any Government, agency, officer or representative thereof of any nation that fails to adhere to the
    1. the European Convention on Human Rights,
    2. the United Nations Convention on Human Right,
  • the Geneva Conventions,
  1. Humanitarian Aid delivery under the charter of the United Nations
  2. No having any links to funding or supporting terrorism
  3. International rules concerning interfering in another nation’s politics.
  • Have a reciprocal agreement with the British Federal Government on the investigation of international crimes, deportation of illegal entrants, failed asylum seekers and convicted criminals.
  1. No elected official, Police Officer or employee of any branch of Government may
    1. Accept any gift or inducement from any person, agency, government or agent thereof.
    2. May accept any employment outside of their role unless that role is
      1. Within any branch of the Government.
      2. A Volunteer position duly declared.
    3. Elected Officials directorships, Positions of power/Influence and ownership of stocks, shares or related financial trades whilst they are in office.
      1. All portfolios must be placed in a “blind trust” immediately upon election to office.
      2. Stocks and shares in companies that are not publicly traded must be submitted to the Oversight Committee for Elected Officials where they shall be held whilst the official is in Office.
  • Where the official has a paid/unpaid directorship, consultancy position or paid employment, or self-employed role, of any description they must immediately resign their position for the period they are in office.
  1. No serving member of Government at any level may take part in an election process in any third-party nation state.
    1. Interviews with the media are excluded.
    2. Private conversations with politicians involved in the election are excluded.

Article VII — National Defence

  1. The defence of the Islands is a collective duty.
  2. A Defence Alliance shall be maintained across all Nations and Territories of the Union.
  3. Each County must maintain a trained reserve militia, with training centres in all population centres over 75,000 citizens.
  4. All able-bodied citizens between ages 18 and 64 may be required to undertake minimal training, with exceptions for health, public service, or professional exemptions.
  5. The combined branches of the Military shall have a minimum force of 2% of the eligible population and as outlined below.
    1. Land Forces. 40% of total number. 50% active service. 50% reserves.
    2. Air Forces. 30% of total number. 50% active service. 50% reserves.
    3. Naval Forces. 30% of total number. 50% active service. 50% reserves, this shall include all personal within the Coast Guard.
  6. The nation shall not make any declaration of war against any other nation without a 70% vote in Parliament and a 70% vote by the electorate. This may be waived where the nation comes under declared or undeclared attack by an adversary nation on the home Islands.
  7. No citizen may be conscripted to war without a state of war being approved by 70% of the electorate, or where the nation is under immediate attack as noted in (6) above.
  8. The nation shall not possess chemical, biological or radiological weapons, though it may maintain nuclear-powered vessels with conventional armaments.

Article VIII — General Provisions

  1. Any nation within the British Isles has the right to join the federation and cannot be excluded.
  2. Any nation that has joined the Federation has the right to secede from the Federation if a referendum of its population is conducted and 75% of the population vote for secession.
  3. No clause of this Constitution may be interpreted to allow the removal or destruction of the rights herein.
  4. Any act undertaken by the State or its agents to diminish or undermine these rights shall be unlawful.
  5. This Constitution shall be binding upon all persons, institutions, and territories under the authority of the British Isles.
  6. Amendments made to this constitution shall require majority votes of no less than 70% in Parliament, the Senate and the 70% of the population is a referendum.

Article IX — Supremacy of the Constitution and Judicial Oversight

Preamble
In order to guarantee the rule of law, prevent the abuse of power, and ensure that all public authority operates within the bounds of justice and democratic legitimacy, this Constitution shall stand as the highest legal authority in the British Isles. It shall bind all persons and institutions, without exception, and shall be interpreted in accordance with the values of liberty, accountability, and the inherent dignity of the people.

Section 1: Supremacy of the Constitution
This Constitution is the supreme law of the British Isles. No law, decree, regulation, executive act, or decision by any public body shall have legal force unless it is consistent with this Constitution.

Section 2: Binding on All Authorities
All branches of Government, including The Crown, Parliament, or any other authority as may exist now or be constituted in the future, the Judiciary, and all regional or local bodies, are bound by the Constitution. No person or authority may claim immunity or superiority above the Constitution.

Section 3: Constitutional Review
An independent Constitutional Division of the High Court shall have the authority to assess the constitutionality of any law, regulation, or executive action. Upon determination that any provision or act is contrary to the Constitution, the Court shall have the power to declare it invalid in whole or in part.

Section 4: Access and Standing
Any citizen of the British Isles, or group of citizens with a legitimate interest, shall have the right to petition the Constitutional Division to review a law or act believed to be unconstitutional. Proceedings shall be conducted with priority and transparency, open to the public and media and may not be held in private.

Section 5: Entrenchment of the Constitution
Amendments to this Constitution may only be made by:
(a) A vote of not less than 70% in both the Parliament and the Senate,
(b) Ratification by a referendum in which not less than 70% of valid votes cast approve the amendment,
(c) A voter turnout of at least 70% of the eligible electorate for the referendum to be valid.

Section 6: Prohibition on Evasion
No Act of Parliament, ministerial regulation, or judicial ruling may suspend, bypass, or derogate from the Constitution. Emergency powers or declarations shall not override or neutralise the rights and procedures set forth herein, except where explicitly permitted in the Constitution or approved amendments itself.

Section 7: Judicial Independence and Authority
The Constitutional Division shall be composed of Judges appointed with security of tenure, free from political interference, and governed solely by the Constitution and the law. It shall be empowered to issue binding rulings, injunctions, and remedies to secure constitutional compliance. This shall include, but not be limited to, sanctions against any individual, group, organisation, or government agency who acts contrary to the Constitution or its approved amendments, regardless of their status, office, or role in society.

ARTICLE VII-A — ARMED FORCES AND UNIFORMED SERVICES COVENANT

(Constitutional Addendum — Fixed and Inviolable)

Section 1: Purpose and Status

The Armed Forces Covenant and the Civil Protection Covenant are hereby established as binding constitutional guarantees.
These Covenants shall hold constitutional authority and cannot be repealed, reduced, or amended except in accordance with Article IX Section 5.

The Armed Forces and the Civil Protection Services shall be recognised as distinct service categories, each with dedicated rights and protections proportionate to their duties, risks, and burdens.

PART I — THE ARMED FORCES COVENANT (Military Covenant)

(Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force, Coast Guard, Military Intelligence Services)

Section 2: Unique Burden and Consequence

The Armed Forces bear a unique operational burden wherein operational failure or misjudgement may result in catastrophic loss of life, collapse of entire missions, or strategic consequences for the nation.
This distinction shall guide all constitutional protections.

Section 3: Legal Immunity for Lawful Combat Conduct

No member of the Armed Forces shall face civil or criminal liability for actions taken in any operational theatre where:

(a) They acted under lawful orders;
(b) They followed the Rules of Engagement and operational procedure; or
(c) They reasonably believed their life, the lives of their comrades, or the lives of others were at risk.

Retrospective investigations based on later political, legal, or social reinterpretations shall be prohibited.

Repeated investigations into the same event, absent new and compelling physical evidence, shall be unlawful.

Where Official Secrets classifications prevent a fair defence, all proceedings shall be immediately terminated.

Section 4: Family and Welfare Guarantees

The State shall provide, without cost to the service member:

  1. Free and suitable housing for all Non-Commissioned Officers and their family and all enlisted personnel for the duration of service.
  2. No local authority or devolved body shall impose any charge, tax, fee, levy, or local duty of any kind upon serving personnel or their families in military provided accommodation.
  3. Utilities: Service Personnel shall be charged special rates by utility companies at a rate no greater than 40% that of the average domestic rate in the area they are located in, and they may not be charged any standing charges. The 40% cap shall include all per-unit consumption charges, and utility providers shall be prohibited from adding standing charges or administrative fees for these accounts.
  4. Communications. The Government shall ensure that all military-provided accommodation has free access to high-speed broadband, with minimum service levels defined in secondary legislation and reviewed annually.
  5. Free and suitable housing for all ranks posted away from their permanent residence.
  6. All ranks shall receive Free uniforms and all essential equipment required to perform their duties that is suitable, safe and appropriate for the purpose intended.
  7. Free nursery and childcare places for children of serving personnel who are working parents or wish to be working parents.
  8. Guaranteed support for dependents during deployment, including mental health services, financial assistance, and relocation support.
  9. Guaranteed employment protection for spouses who relocate due to service posting.
  10. Guaranteed free private dental and prescription services for spouses and immediate family members of all service family members.
  11. Where a family member is killed in service, except by their own hand (exceptions will be made where PTSD can be shown to be the cause), their salary shall be paid, deduction free, to their spouse until their designated retirement age, including all subsequent salary increases, and they shall then receive their full pension entitlement, again, free from any tax burden.

Section 5: Healthcare and Mental Health Entitlements

All serving personnel, veterans, and their immediate families shall be entitled to:

  1. Free lifetime physical healthcare for all service-related injuries or conditions.
  2. Priority access to NHS services with statutory maximum wait times.
  3. Dedicated Military Mental Health Services with guaranteed access within:
    • 24 hours for crisis intervention,
    • 14 days for initial assessment,
    • 28 days for treatment commencement.
  4. Protection from stigma of mental health injury, including legal recognition of moral injury.

Section 6: Housing, Employment, and Transition Rights

  1. Every service leaver shall be guaranteed immediate access to housing without waiting lists.
  2. Veterans shall have priority access to apprenticeships, retraining programmes, and public sector employment.
  3. Military qualifications shall be automatically recognised as civilian equivalents wherever applicable.

Section 7: Pension and Financial Protections

  1. Military pensions shall be constitutionally protected and may not be reduced or altered retrospectively.
  2. All military personnel injured in service who are forced, but those injuries, to retire from the service, shall continue to receive their full salary, free of all deductions, until their legal retirement age, at which time they shall receive their full pension. Their salary shall be index linked will all other military salaries and may not fall behind serving personnel.
  3. No veteran may be means-tested for compensation relating to service-caused harm.

PART II — THE CIVIL PROTECTION COVENANT

(Police, Fire & Rescue, RNLI, Ambulance & Paramedics, Prison Service, Border Force, Mountain Rescue, Coast Rescue)

Section 8: Distinct Nature of Civil Service Risk

Civil Protection Services operate in environments involving high risk, trauma exposure, violence, and danger, but not the catastrophic strategic burden unique to military operations.
Their Covenant shall reflect this distinction without diminishing the dignity or importance of their service.

Section 9: Legal and Professional Protections

Civil Protection personnel shall be protected from vexatious or politically motivated prosecution for actions undertaken in lawful performance of duty, where they reasonably believed force or intervention was necessary to protect life or prevent serious harm as part of their duties.

Section 10: Welfare, Housing, and Family Rights

All Civil Protection personnel shall be entitled to:

  1. Priority access to affordable housing in the region where they serve.
  2. Dedicated trauma support pathways with maximum wait times.
  3. Mandatory psychological review after critical incidents.
  4. Enhanced sick pay and injury-on-duty protections.

Section 11: Pensions, Injury Compensation, and Employment Rights

  1. Pensions and injury compensation schemes for all Civil Protection Services shall be constitutionally protected.
  2. Paramedics, police, and firefighters injured in the line of duty shall receive automatic compensation without litigation.
  3. Paramedics, Police, Firefighters, Border force and similar civil protection officers who are so injured in the line of their duties they can no longer continue in their role shall have any mortgage outstanding cleared by the state in addition to any compensation they may otherwise receive.
  4. Paramedics, Police, Firefighters, Border force and similar civil protection officers who are so injured in the line of their duties they can no longer continue in their role shall remain on the payroll of their service and receive their full salary at time of injury, less statutory tax, pension and national insurance contributions.
  5. Any attempt to downgrade pensions, increase contributions, or reduce benefits without constitutional amendment shall be unlawful.
  6. RNLI volunteers who are seriously injured in the line of their duties and prevented from continuing shall be paid a lump sum of £50,000 for each year of service they gave to the RNLI, plus £150,000 if less than 5 years total, this shall be index linked to ensure it is not diminished by inflation. Note: Where the volunteer has an outstanding mortgage, the state will fulfil any outstanding mortgage payment.

PART III — GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 12: Prohibition on Retrospective Weakening

No Government, Parliament, agency, or court may reduce, undermine, or reinterpret any protections granted under this Article except as permitted by Article IX Section 5.

Section 13: Oversight

An Independent Armed & Uniformed Services Commission shall exist to enforce this Article, investigate breaches, and protect serving personnel and veterans.
It shall not be subordinate to Parliament.

Section 14: Binding Force

This Article shall have constitutional force equal to all other Articles and shall supersede any conflicting statute or regulation.

Section 15: Irreducible Standards
The rights and protections within the Armed Forces Covenant constitute a minimum standard. Parliament may expand these rights but shall never diminish or restrict them except through constitutional amendment.

ARTICLE VII-B — NATIONAL FLAGS AND PUBLIC SYMBOLS

(Constitutional Addendum — Fixed and Inviolable)

Section 1: National and Cultural Symbols

The national flags of the British Isles represent all citizens equally and shall not be deemed symbols of political ideology, racial identity, or partisan affiliation. No citizen may be stigmatised, harassed, or discriminated against for displaying any recognised national flag of the British Isles.

The recognised national flags are:
(a) The Union Flag (Union Jack),
(b) The Cross of St George (England),
(c) The Cross of St Andrew (Scotland),
(d) The Cross of St David (Wales),
(e) The lawful Flag of Northern Ireland,
(f) Any officially recognised territorial or county flag of the British Isles.

Section 2: Mandatory Display on State Property

All State-owned, State-occupied, or State-funded buildings, institutions, and official offices shall fly the following flags at all times:

  1. The Union Flag,
  2. The national flag of the nation in which the building resides (England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland),
  3. The national flags of the remaining nations of the British Isles,
  4. Any additional flag as determined by law for specific institutions (such as Armed Forces establishments, emergency services, or overseas diplomatic missions).

Flags shall be maintained in good condition and flown in accordance with established flag protocol.

Section 3: Protection of National Symbols

No public authority, institution, or official may prohibit, restrict, or remove the display of any recognised national flag of the British Isles from State property, except during structural hazard or essential maintenance.

Acts of vandalism, desecration, or unauthorised removal of national flags from State property shall constitute public order offences and criminal damage.

Section 4: Rights of Citizens to Display National Flags

Citizens of the British Isles have the constitutional right to display any recognised national flag of the British Isles on their property, their person, or their business premises without State interference.

No local authority, housing association, landlord, management company, or private body may prohibit the flying of any recognised national flag, except where the physical structure presents a clear safety hazard.

Section 5: Prohibition on Political Weaponisation

No political party, organisation, or public official may claim ownership, exclusivity, or ideological association with any national flag of the British Isles.

Any public narrative, institutional decision, or political action that delegitimises the display of national flags as racist, extremist, or otherwise inherently objectionable shall be unconstitutional.

Section 6: Education and Cultural Respect

Schools and educational institutions shall teach the history, meaning, and cultural significance of the national flags of the British Isles in a politically neutral and historically accurate manner, recognising their equal value to all citizens.

Section 7: Protection From Defacement and Damage

  1. Deliberate defacing, mutilation, or damage of any recognised national flag of the British Isles, or any foreign national flag lawfully displayed within the British Isles, shall be deemed:
    (a) a public order offence, and
    (b) criminal damage.
  2. Such actions shall not be protected speech and shall not be excused under claims of political expression, artistic expression, or personal objection.

Section 8: Use of National Flags in Advertising and Commerce

  1. The use of recognised British national flags in advertising, commercial imagery, branding, or media shall be lawful, provided that such use is not pornographic, degrading, or intended to incite violence, hatred, or discrimination.
  2. Parliament shall establish clear statutory guidelines to prevent misuse while avoiding unreasonable restriction on legitimate commerce.

Section 9: Prohibition of Flag Burning

  1. The deliberate burning of any recognised British national flag shall be deemed:
    (a) arson,
    (b) a public order offence, and
    (c) an act of insurrection where carried out with intent to intimidate, threaten, destabilise, or convey hostility towards the nation or its people.
  2. This provision shall not apply to ceremonial retirement or regulated disposal of flags by the Armed Forces, Civil Protection Services, or other authorised institutions.
  3. Claims of political expression, protest, or artistic merit shall not constitute a defence for flag burning.

Ratification Clause
This Constitution shall be adopted following approval by referendum of the peoples of the British Isles and shall come into force on the first day of the month following its ratification.

© British Democratic Alliance 2025