What do you want as head of state for the UK

[wordler]

We are a mixed bag of pro and anti-monarchy on here so I've created a little poll to see at a glance were we stand:

https://poll-maker.com/Q72KOF2ZL

I've added a Something Else option as I ran out of what I thought were all the possibilities.

It's anonymous but feel free to expand in the comments.

If you did click then you would find that it's very clear that the King isn't elected. People know that I would have thought, though I'm obviously wrong!
Use verified evidence.

I'm sorry. I don't really know what point you are making here. I'm perfectly aware (and rather sad) we don't have an elected HoS.

Can you provide verified evidence the one we have isn't using secretive means to thwart proposed legislation that might affect his own interests?

@DelectableMe me. Erm yes I know the king isn’t elected.

I merely said that I don’t click random links on random threads on mn because I’m not the fucking idiot you clearly think I am.

my answer to the question as to who I would like as my HoS is: someone elected. Ie anyone but the the king because I consider the monarchy to be a an embarrassing undemocratic anachronism that typifies everything wrong British democracy.

i hope, @DelectableMe, that that makes my answer a little clearer.

No need to swear or get offensive. You'll note that I won't lower myself to do similar.
I'm just trying to help people who don't understand how it works.
Many, it would appear.

I object to the way you referred to the late Queen. Catty much?!

I prefer people to swear than be patronising sanctimonious snobs @DelectableMe i find it much less offensive.

A "random link" - .gov.uk?? UCL??? Jesus that's news to me!

Quite, @Runnerinthenight 😂

I think you will find that @DelectableMe is pretty knowledgeable about this stuff. You might learn something if you could just drop the pomposity and be a tad less bombastic.

The paranoia too while you are at it - the sites referenced are official and recognised, but if your internet security is that poor, you can always type them directly into your browser.

I think, @Runnerinthenight if information from the official UK government site, or a top university is provided, it should be trusted!

I do too!!

Could understand it if it was eatmyshit.com or something else dodgy!

😂

It is not a gov.uk link in the op @Runnerinthenight

or maybe I’m too busy being bombastic to notice? 🤷‍♀️

https://poll-maker.com/Q72KOF2ZL

That link was posted more than a year ago and not by @DelectableMe!!

Ah well, my mistake, I was answering the op, not @DelectableMe ’s lecture. And poll Maker is not a reputable link to randomly click. I didn’t realise it was a zombie thread. I was multi tasking with the football.

Having studied electoral history as my undergraduate dissertation I like to think I’m no slouch either. I certainly don’t need telling the monarchy isn’t elected.

Oh dear. Not a lecture. Information for those who really don't understand UK government and politics.
Actually, lectures are interesting and informative, so I'll take that - thanks 👍!
You'll notice no swearing or being offensive to others... 😇

Hi - promise there’s nothing nefarious about the link but answering in the comments is great too.

It’s not technically a zombie thread as I bumped it on purpose because there were complaints that every innocuous thread on then royal family turned into a debate on monarchy vs republicans and someone said to one of the debaters ‘start a thread about it if you want to debate it’ and I remembered I already had but at the time
hadn’t attracted much attention as the more gossipy threads.

I’d like things to stay civil on here if possible - it’s an interesting and important topic and even if we are on different sides of the debate we can offer and accept points without it getting personal.

Cheers.

Thank you, @wordler . Well said. I enjoy a good debate and it is a shame when people get offensive and personal, as you say.

I'm a monarchist with a small m. I love the history and I find people outside the UK are very interested in our RF. I have been to Buck Palace, KP and the Tower of London and I always find it fascinating how many people visit. I was in Greece when QEII died and had multiple condolences which was odd.

I am also aware that in 2024 it's somewhat archaic to have an unelected HoS.

Unfortunately we are a country that have been seduced by BoJo, Farage and Brexit in the last 10 years so I don't hold out much hope.

I remain to be convinced by the cost effectiveness of a president. I would want to see a full set of working not figures banged on the side of buses.

Given the corruption of contracts being given to cronies and things like the current Health Sec being married to the Head of British Sugar, I don't think even those elected don't bend the rules.

You make some good points there, @JADS . Of course it's archaic. Also seemingly perpetuating a feudal system. Your reference to people like BoJo is very relevant, there are ambitious politicians who would stretch or bend the laws to please themselves. I always think that a monarchy is a bulwark against that. It's not the power that the monarch has, it's the power they stop others having.

I’m in your camp - I’ve tried calling it monarchist-lite.

There’s a part of me that really loves the history, ceremonies passed down for centuries etc.

There’s a part of me that sees how bizarre it is that we have a head of state based on birth not merit.

I do value that there’s a system overseeing the stewardship of the Crown land and assets from generation to generation.

For me any good republican plan has to show how those assets will be cared for, protected and safeguarded from any future sell off or even simply mismanagement by government.

Yes, how would it transition? We've seen too many assets squandered or sold abroad.
There's a myth that the palaces could house the homeless, the money feed the poor. Those are nice notions, but perhaps some billionaire would end up with Buckingham Palace, and wealth distribution remain as it is?
I do think (see above) that is monarch is a limiting factor for ambitious politicians who would manipulate the system for more power.
So I would only have a non political president (like in Germany) to be above and outside it all.

If it's not a zombie thread then ok, I'd like the English equivalent of what the RoI has.

A kindly unpretentious person of a certain age who's had a career (not in asset management or investment banking) or has achieved something interesting and worthwhile out of their own initiative. With no dubious friends. And who, most importantly, has not much inherited wealth.

If they've also rejected an MBE or similar, that would be just perfect.

There was no "lecture".

Congrats on your degree.

And 5 of the top ten most open democracies don't have a monarch, while the 5 that do; Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark & New Zealand, have a more open relationship between monarchy & government.

The UK doesn't make the top ten.