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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you if there were to be a vote tomorrow on whether or not we should become a Republic country, how would you vote?

336 replies

LLDilema · 14/12/2015 14:18

Very long thread title... but just interested to know, if tomorrow it was announced that we all have to vote on whether to keep or abolish the royal family, how would you vote? Yes to keep. No to lose.

OP posts:
BankWadger · 14/12/2015 16:20

Get rid and take the house of Lords with them.

Becoming a Republic won't remove the countries' history or even the people who make up the royal family. It will just remove their privilege and unearned "power".

Not sure how it would effect the governance of the individual countries though.

molyholy · 14/12/2015 16:22

No - lose. The concept is archaic. The fact that simply because you are born, you get to live the rest of your life suckling at the teat of the taxpayers, for the rest of your life, well it is preposterous. When you think that there are children born into misery and poverty. It is such an unfair and quite frankly, perverse system. ABOLISH.

MrsTerryPratchett · 14/12/2015 16:26

No. Just wrong that the Head of State can't be my child. Because her ancestors weren't as big a load of murdering bastards and someone else's.

GlitteryRollers · 14/12/2015 16:27

No. I think the Queen has been a fantastic head of state, but when she pops her clogs real questions needs to be asked about the future of the Royal Family. They are a relic of a bygone era. Maybe a more scaled down version like they have in the Nethrlands or somewhere could be an option?

wasonthelist · 14/12/2015 16:31

This is pretty funny - I am much more worried about the kind of barriers to meritocracy posed by most leading politicians coming from a very small number of the same schools and Universities than I am by a disruptive change to a figurehead role. I'd also be gunning for The Lords before the Royals.

As for arguments to keep - it doesn't work like that. Keep is the status quo - those demanding a change need to explajn why we need a republic.

ProcrastinatorGeneral · 14/12/2015 16:35

No. Outdated and unnecessary.

ConferencePear · 14/12/2015 16:39

Keep.

Fallenangle · 14/12/2015 16:40

I was once an avid republican but I think the apolitical head of state is important. I do wonder how we could have an apolitical head of state in any other system. President Boris, anyone? So if there is a suitable alternative to monarchy I'd vote for a republic.

WhetherOrNot · 14/12/2015 16:40

YES yes yes to keep.

DansonslaCapucine · 14/12/2015 16:40

No - lose them. A thousand times lose them.

OneSteakBake · 14/12/2015 16:40

I don't think they need to go yet, but I think they need to be treated like any other citizen when it comes to income tax. I also think that their salaries need to be reviewed, is it fair to get so much money and not be taxed for the kind of job they do?

If STB King Charles decides he wants to sway decisions expressing his political views, I think that we should be a republic. If he wants to do politics it is only fair that we are allowed to vote him in or out.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 14/12/2015 16:41

Yes, keep.

Nightstalker · 14/12/2015 16:44

Yes to keep. To the person who said its a myth about how much they bring in in tourism whilst that may be true we pay them a salary and in return they give us much more in land rents.
Overall, the Royal Family cost each person 65p per month.
The land rents are given back as a tax rebate of about £2.45.
So the Royal Family gives you £1.80 per month. If you don't want your I'd be more than happy to take it from you Smile
And then you have the "myth" of the added value of the Royal Family to tourism.
Apologies if this has been said already I haven't RTFT as I needed to respond

HappyJustToBe · 14/12/2015 16:46

No.

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 14/12/2015 16:46

Lose lose lose, though I'd let the queen serve out her time.

Nightstalker · 14/12/2015 16:46

Also they don't have any power, the queen isn't even allowed in the House of Commons. Additionally she has stated that if parliament voted to get rid of her she would sign the ballot (all she does in Parliament of any particular note is sign the laws)

EdithWeston · 14/12/2015 16:52

Yes, keep.

(And it's the revenue of the Crown Estates which is all given to the government that means they are net contributors).

WhereDidTheYearsGo · 14/12/2015 16:53

Yes. Keep.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 14/12/2015 16:56

But the Crown Estates arent really "owned" by the monarchy, so I'm not sure they should be counted...

inkblots · 14/12/2015 16:58

No. Can't stand them.

pilates · 14/12/2015 17:01

Yes

NashvilleQueen · 14/12/2015 17:05

Yes keep

Is someone keeping score??

RNBrie · 14/12/2015 17:07

The Crown Estate is technically "owned" by the monarch but it's on paper only. No day to day involvement or management. It's an independent company that wouldn't cease to exist just because you abolish the monarchy.

Which means I'd get my full £2.45 which I'd happily take over £1.80 Grin

Tiggeryoubastard · 14/12/2015 17:08

Get rid. Though they could go up individually for election like other private citizens (note; not subjects).

batshitlady · 14/12/2015 17:10

No... Alright so we'll get a corrupt president no doubt, but at least we can rid ourselves of the crook when the time comes.

The tax avoiding royals -www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/dec/14/prince-charles-estate-tax-avoidance - have amassed wealth for generations, without ever working hard for it. The Queen backs government austerity whilst at the same time overspends on a massive scale herself. www.thewire.com/global/2014/01/british-spending-royals/357485/

Time for us to grow up, stop deferring to this mob, waving our little flags, see them for the parasites they are and get rid of them, once and for all.