In June of 2003, the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, phoned his old flat mate, Charlie Falconer, to invite him to join the government.

The catch was that Lord Falconer would take responsibility for a controversial parliamentary bill which would make sweeping changes to the British constitution, dragging the Law Lords out of Westminster, setting up of a Supreme Court, changing the way judges are selected and axing the ancient post of Lord Chancellor.

MUSIC & FACTUAL

Broadcast on Radio 4 in April 2005