republicans, over here!

@cakeorwine

But there are no colonisers here. Who are we going to get rid off? Can’t you see it is not the same.

And why is a single constitution better than the thousand years of constitutional law that protects our rights? Does that constitution work well in countries that have it? It seems to need endlessly amending and squabbling over in America. It is much easier here to adapt laws because there is no bloody constitution to get in the way.

Why? Why do we need it to be codified? It can causes huge problems. Why do you think the US has its huge problem with gun crime- it’s all because of their codified and almost worshipped US Constitution with its “right to bear arms”. And why do you think Roe v Wade was overturned leading to abortion being banned across half the USA? Because their precious written constitution doesn’t protect women and since abortion isn’t specifically written as a “constitutional right” in the bin it goes.

A codified Constitution does more harm than good from what I’ve seen because it is frozen in time. It is like the fucking Ten Commandments and worshipped as such.

I'm not a republican, but nor am I a monarchist. I'm fairly indifferent. I think there are many people who feel like this. No strong thoughts on the matter.
I liked the Queen as a person though, and do feel a little sad.

Checking in!

I loved Michaela Strachan’s tweet. Respectful but pretty sure she’s a republican.

Tweet

We don’t need the sequel. History, time to move on - they are flesh and blood and no more special than me.

Oh finally voices of reason. Felt like I was losing my mind with all this upset. Absolute insanity we have a monarchy in this day and age. I tolerated the queen in a sense that she had been in that role since a time where it was acceptable but how on earth can we jusity this anymore?

Although it's been quite good for me as I've been avoiding all social media and online shopping, trying to avoid the forced mourning.

oh, yes “once the colonisers are gone then utopia!
it hasn’t ever worked that way.
I think you’ll find a lot of bloodshed also happened/is happening after independence as well*

True

Countries need to find a way of being governed and to decide on the best way of governing them.

We seem to have a system where a long time ago, there were wars. Battle of Hastings? War of the Roses?

Monarchs fought other Monarchs. Houses fought other houses. Millions have died in the UK because Monarchs decided to fight each other the centuries and imposed their will.

The heirs of those Monarchs decided that they have the right to rule this country because ir was their God given right, If you disagreed, you were beheaded.

It's not a very modern way to run a country. Because God gave you the right and your ancestors killed other people, executed them and fought wars.

A codified Constitution does more harm than good from what I’ve seen because it is frozen in time. It is like the fucking Ten Commandments and worshipped as such

And yet many countries have them.

I suppose the UK knows best. God told the ancestors of Charles that they had the right to rule the UK forever and anyone who disagreed should have been executed.

I don't believe in God either.

I think I might have been executed in the past for my views.

Now it would be shamed and cancelled by the Daily Mail instead

Agree, but then our monarchy doesn’t run our country nor govern anyone other than a pack of corgi dogs. In fact they are required by the constitution to be apolitical and through a millennium of Acts of Parliament they now have zero political power as well. You look up royal prerogative and royal assent- and into the details of how it actually works in practice- it’s all been devolved to various MPs of the cabinet and civilian heads of governmental departments, like the judiciary.

The most they have is political influence and even then Charles III has spent most of his life being told off by the U.K. Government for banging on about the environment and climate change, as they felt his influence was too great. Even though it was a smidgen of the influence a 14yr Swedish girl had….

And I personally don’t want to hear the word ‘referendum’ again for another two or three decades. I suspect a lot of people feel the same.

Agree, but then our monarchy doesn’t run our country nor govern anyone other than a pack of corgi dogs. In fact they are required by the constitution to be apolitical and through a millennium of Acts of Parliament they now have zero political power as wel

Which is why we need someone who - as Head of State - is able to ensure that the people with power are not abusing their power.

A Head of State - with proper written constitutional powers - would be able to ensure that the people with power are not going too far with what the laws and the Constitution says.

What is shocking is how few people on this thread actually know nothing about how the country is run or anything about the royal family beyond what is reported in gossip rags.

So far it seems Republicans and Brexiteers share the similar levels of ideological delusion that doesn’t require any facts beyond a need to feel freeeeeeee.

The Monarchy will become irrelevant.

It feels like the Truman show. What clothes is Kate wearing? Look at these lovely pictures of the children. It's their first day at school. It's their birthday.
Gosh, look what Meghan has said? Will Harry and William make up?

Join us next week...

Once they are gone, people will find something else to obsess over.

Surely you know that would happen to who ever had the job. Look at what happens to presidential wives in the US.

You’ve yet to point out a single country that has thrown off their own monarchy without massive upheaval and bloodshed. Not thrown off colonisation but their own hereditary monarchy.

Why would the country bankroll the families of elected presidents?

Here in Ireland, the elected president and their spouse live in the official residence. That’s it. We don’t bankroll their adult children, their siblings, their cousins, their grandchildren etc. None of their extended family live in grace and favour accommodation. I know absolutely nothing about the adult children of our president, nor his siblings, and that’s as it should be. There is no gravy train here like the monarchy provides.

I think the U.K. isn’t half bad. There is no sense making mistakes other countries have made like having a codified constitution. Or having a big fat genocidal revolution to make our 99% republic into a 100% republic as it would result in the same elites in charge that were before only they are now called President Macron instead of Prince Macron (he is a Prince).

And again, the royal family doesn’t do any ruling. We’ve clipped their claws and wings over the centuries to the point that we own them. They are living history and don’t get to choose to be anything other than a royal. It’s a life of luxury, but it’s a gilded cage. If we were to get rid of the monarchy, they would benefit most and see the most change.

The way our country is actually run by Parliament and the MPs wouldn’t change a bit. You’d see no difference whatsoever.

The last time we had a republic didn’t work out so good for us.

both other times we had a King Charles it didn’t work out to well

Really?

You don't think that an unwritten Constitution, with the Monarch as the person with the power to sign off on laws, who has the power to open and close Parliament, a court that is separate but which the current politicians seem to want to have more control over, an unelected House of Lords where the PM can fill with his cronies is a good system of Government.

Do you think our way of Government and our Head of State model, along with our unwritten Constitution, is the BEST model out there - of all the potential models in the world?

Or could there be a chance that other democracies are slightly better than us?

And don't rely on the God method to choose the Head of State?

The way our country is actually run by Parliament and the MPs wouldn’t change a bit. You’d see no difference whatsoever

I think we might see some more control when the PM goes rogue.

And again, the royal family doesn’t do any ruling. We’ve clipped their claws and wings over the centuries to the point that we own them. They are living history and don’t get to choose to be anything other than a royal. It’s a life of luxury, but it’s a gilded cage. If we were to get rid of the monarchy, they would benefit most and see the most change

You are being a bit patronising. As a Republican, I am clued up on how this country operates and how the systems work. I know the role of the Monarch. I know how it's changed.

I also know systems in other countries that are functioning democracies and seem to function well without this obsession with a Royal Family.

It is the Truman show. Harry had the right idea. William, like Charles, is trapped by duty.

You’ve yet to point out a single country that has thrown off their own monarchy without massive upheaval and bloodshed. Not thrown off colonisation but their own hereditary monarchy

Why this obsession with throwing off a monarchy?

I think that our country will evolve other time, and it will become less and less relevant.

It will go by itself and a new system will be found. No revolution. No bloodshed.

Just fading away.

<Waves to fellow republicans >

I'm with you. The whole deference and bowing to a rich man who just happened to be born into that family is utterly bonkers to me - and abhorrent given todays climate where millions are struggling to eat.

I get it that people want charismatic leaders and all that, but royalty is an outdated way to do it.

I read somewhere on MN that Charles lobbied hard -and successfully - for his properties to,be excluded from the leaseholder right to buy legislation. If true, it proves that he's a money hoarding self centred rich bloke with no understanding of his 'subjects' and out of touch with reality. And people go on about how wonderful he is and will literally worship him. Nuts.

It all just feels so tone deaf to me - cancelling events people have saved hard for and looked forward to, even cutting down weather forecasting FFS. The cost and disruption is nonsense. Yes, if you loved the Queen and want to mark it, fill your boots, but don't force it on others.

Rant over. I could go on but .......That feels better. 😬

We really, really need a republic.

You’ve just proved @Legrandsophie ’s point

• the constitution is both written and unwritten, but mostly written. The unwritten bits are basic principles.
• the monarch doesn’t have the power to sign off on laws…look how how royal assent actually works. They cannot refuse assent against the advice of Parliament and Parliament by sending an Act for royal assent is de facto advising this law should be passed. Royal assent is a ceremonial rubber stamp.
• Open/close Parliament also not a power, but a ceremonial function. They can’t even write their own speech. The government in power writes it and they read it,
• the judiciary should be separate, that is a best practice
• the House of Lords is advisory and mostly life peers voted in by the commons. As with anything the commons votes on the ruling party will “stuff it with cronies” but that’s a problem with all representative democracies as of yet unfixed.

Australia tried to become a republic about 20 years ago with a referendum and failed. Hopefully we will eventually, but it’ll be a while yet.

I completely agree with you. Can’t believe how much push back people are getting for being honest. I’m so fed up with the media telling me how sad I am. It’s like a national brainwashing! We think we live in a free country until something like this happens and it’s very clear we are just puppets.
I feel for her family as people who have lost someone close to them, but only as much as I’d feel sympathy for anyone who told me their Mum or Gran had died, but I wouldn’t personally feel devastated myself.
And it will now be considered distasteful to want the government to keep fixing the energy crisis (something that does actually affect all of our daily lives) so we’ll continue to be screwed over the next 2 weeks