To want a Republic?

[StrictlyOogieBoogiePumpkin]

That it really. I cannot stand this 'joy' at a Royal Wedding that will cost a fortune and all to welcome in someone else who will now never EVER get a real job.

Would is really be so bad to join the rest of the modern world and ditch them? We could have an ELECTED President, we could just have our elected Parliament.

The Palaces would still be there for the tourists. The President can welcome the Heads of State (but only for a fixed term)

Would it be so bad to not pay for her cousins to live in Palaces?

Can we not just give it a go?

What is really heartening is to see - yet again - how pitifully weak the arguments for a monarchy are. The best most people can do is to insist on 'facts' which are in fact demonstrably untrue, especially the tourism argument; or they explain that it failed once before and thus will again. WTF? Or they name a random and often unlikeable person as an example of a potential president. The point is we don't have to have Blair, Thatcher etc... if enough of us don't want them. We can choose in a grown up democracy.

The bottom line is: we don't and can't elect them, we can never kick them out of office and we can never aspire to their fabulously well-paid and uterly undeserved jobs because we are, err, not the children of the Queen (and Philip, the racists, sexist 'consort') Then there's the small point that they have to be Anglicans, head the established church and are obliged to marry fellow Anglicans. Forget multiculturalism or the possibility that the head of state might actually represent modern Britian.

YANBU.

As simple as that.

YABU, because it would constantly be on the news and would get boring.

Also it is actually very difficult to get rid of the royal family, because it needs the consent of the Head of State... and that's the Queen. If she said 'fuck off' (or perhaps 'feck orf') that would be the end of it. Unless you wanted to face a major constitutional crisis, the crash of the pound etc. Which would be an awful lot of faff. So basically the royal family will go when they feel like it, which will be never.

smallwhitecat but we would have the choice to turn them down by not voting for them, I have never been asked if I would like Charles to become my head of state once the Queen dies.

Being allowed to elect our own head of state would not make the country 'more democratic'

Err, good point.

YANBU.

I am so fed up with actually having to pay to keep this bunch of massively overprivileged halfwits in the sort of luxury which they believe they deserve. Amd now we will have to foot the bill for a lavish wedding, whilst also hearing Cameron rant on and on about cuts for the rest of us.

Urgh.

YANBU

YANBU

If nothing else, the next 12 months are jsut going to be so dull.

The Head of State may not have much power but that's not the point. They are not elected, we can't remove them whether they abuse their power or not, we pay the Queen and her family, we have to accept whooever is next in line to the throne, etc.. It's really simple.

YADNBU
let's appoint a head of state
or, rather let's nominate a head of state and let people choose. they could have the position for, say , 5 years
my candidates
Alan Bennet
Joan Bakewell
David Attenborough

they could do all the things current HoS does, except head up CofE (they would have to make do with Rowan thingy)thengo back to real life after their term of office
sorted

YANBU at all!

smallwhitecat - we don't actually have formal written British Constitution just a collection of Acts of Parliament that have to be passed into law, the final approval regarding whether these are passed into law resides with the Queen. When we have a general election and a change of government the outgoing Prime Minister tenders his resignation to the Queen and the new Prime Minister asks for the Queen's permission to form a new government.

Her role is not purely ceremonial we've just been lucky that she's been kept under control these last few years!

this page has some more detail about how our constitution is unwritten.

And thus the argument that the Queen has no power anyway is a pretty dangerous argument.

Oh yes, I would like a republic.

The royals can fund themselves and charge for public opneings and after-dinner speaking ans the like. They can keep one grand ole house each. I'm not too bothered about that.

But officially we should have a republic and the royals can do a little larking about in the background.

Shallishanti

Not David Attenborough
look what he says about population control.

?I?ve never seen a problem that wouldn?t be easier to solve with fewer people, or harder, and ultimately impossible, with more. That?s why I support the OPT, and I wish the environmental NGOs would follow their lead, and spell out this central problem loud and clear.?

Power might go to his head and who knows what.He will certainly bring in birth control,perhaps one child per family.

The Queen may not have much power but she has a lot of influence. Also the royal family abuse their position, Anne for example:

Uncontrolled dog in Richmond Park, just a talking to.

Caught speeding three times, no court appearance.

Phillip, racist comments

I am so pleased to see so many people that want to see the back of this scrounging dysfunctional family

newwave

I am so pleased to see so many people that want to see the back of this scrounging dysfunctional family

Can we get rid of the thousands of other familys like the ones you mention too?

Alvin, if they are getting as much as the Queens mob and have as much influence by all means go ahead.

Give anne an ASBO :o

how much money do the queens mob bring into this country,tourism etc compared to the work shy parasites who do nothing but live off benefits
Shall we get rid of drug addicts, alcoholics,and others who cost us money?

"get rid of" = IMO stop paying for all their clothes, houses, jewels, outings, dinners etc etc etc.

Not = kill, dismember and chuck into the Thames.

oh

yanbu