Magna Carta – The Heart of the British Constitution

The Financial Times is carrying a story today about the upcoming sale of one of the earliest issues of Magna Carta.

Magna Carta is very dear to my heart, which may or may not be connected to the fact that I read history at university.

However, in the frequent debate about whether Britain needs a written constitution, it is important to remember that Magna Carta is an early forebear of just such a document. For example, it recognises and enshrines limits on the power of the state and offers the basis for an impartial legal system.

No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, or in any other way destroyed, except by the lawful judgement of his peers.

Over the years, most of the copies that were originally sent out to each county, have been lost or damaged beyond repair. The British Library holds four copies, of which only one is in a good state. The one on sale is one of only two copies currently outside the UK and the last in private hands and has been on display at the National Archives in Washington since arriving in the US in 1984, alongside the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence

Sotheby’s are estimating that it will reach around $30m, which I believe is a bargain for such an important document for both British history and the cause of human rights. It might be worth a quick whip round among some of the Conservative Party’s biggest donors, too, as we should be looking to preserve such a rare document.

After all, Tony Blair had a pretty good go at trying to tear-up all the other copies…