Brown, who succeeded Tony Blair last week vowing a "new government with new priorities", made a series of recommendations to rebuild trust in government, increase power to parliament and boost engagement in the democratic process.

"It is my hope that by working together for change in a spirit that takes us beyond parties and beyond partisanship we can agree a new British constitutional settlement that entrusts more power to parliament and to the British people," he said, in his first statement to parliament as prime minister.

Brown spoke of a "route map" to make those in power more accountable and to uphold and enhance the rights and responsibilities of the citizen: his reply to opposition claims that he is a "top-down" centraliser.

Chief among the so-called "royal prerogatives" he wishes to renounce is the power to declare war without parliamentary consent, although lawmakers were allowed a vote on military action in Iraq in 2003.

"For centuries they (the prime minister and executive) have exercised authority in the name of the monarchy without the people and their elected representatives being consulted," Brown told parliament.

Such authority had "no place in a modern democracy", he said, and by transferring the powers to parliament, it would make a "more open 21st century British democracy which better serves the British people".

"The government will now consult on a resolution to guarantee that on the the grave issue of peace and war it is ultimately this House of Commons which will make the decision," he said.

Brown also proposed greater transparency in the intelligence services, with the creation of a new National Security Council bringing together domestic and overseas security with development and community relations.