Brown: All Government buildings should fly the Union Flag

Gordon Brown is flying the flag for consitutional reform - by raising the Union Flag on all Government buildings every day.

"The Union Flag is one of the most recognisable symbols in the world," he said in his first Commons statement as Prime Minister.

"In other countries it is regarded as a source of pride."

His pledge to abolish restrictions on flying the flag as part of a package of measures designed to create a "new consensus, a more effective democracy and a stronger sense of shared national purpose".

Later a Downing Street spokesman added: "We should all take a bit more pride in the Union Jack. We should reclaim it."

In the Commons, Mr Brown had promised to make the Government a "better servant of the people" as he outlined constitutional changes to give more power to Parliament including:

• Giving MPs the final say on whether Britain should go to war.

• Stripping the Attorney General of a say in criminal prosecutions.

• Forcing Parliament to consider petitions from members of the public.

• Setting out a consultation on a new Bill of Rights and a written constitution.

Mr Brown's decision to reform the role of the new Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, effectively washes the Government's hands of the decision whether or not to prosecute Tony Blair's aides in the "cash for honours" inquiry.

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