Abolishing the Monarchy

[tigger2022]

A few people on different sides of the debate have expressed an interest in discussing/debating this, so I thought we could give it a go…

Abolishing the monarchy?

My personal view: I used to be a staunch republican but have since completely changed my view. I think the constitutional monarchy is a slightly odd system, but seems to do the job, and I can’t think of another country’s system which is actually preferable. I also find myself less & less convinced by republican arguments…

Thoughts?

It's a good idea to keep incase you end up getting a loony in charge like Trump or Putin

The queen was a figurehead we mostly admired, charlie boy not so much.

Not looking forward to his mug on our currency and stamps, glad I won't have to lick the back of his head to post a letter.

As a poster said when Kate first married into the family, it brings home that they're very ordinary people, not inspirational leaders or brilliant strategists (unless you subscribe to the 'ma middleton stalking willy boy' theory).
Why are we all paying for them?

Some say that they only cost a pound or two per person, multiply that by a few million in the UK and as I said before, a pyramid scheme.

Keep the royal family. No to a republic. Look how France, Germany, USA are and how their presidents behave. And we won’t save any money as a President costs just as much as a Royal Family

Release the royal family into the wild, if they're that brilliant they'll do well enough for themselves without our help.

As for presidents costing a fortune, surely we can vote/legislate for that.

And we won’t save any money as a President costs just as much as a Royal Family

That is absolutely not true.

For instance €4M to run the Irish President's office

Sovereign Grant to UK monarchy £102.4m (before anyone says, £20m or so is for Buckingham Palace, which will cease in a few years and it should drop down to £87m)

But then you have the massive security costs which are kep secret from the British public for security reasons (but why that is a security issue god alone knows. More like it's a huge bill and the public would be outraged)

Other presidential figures available. Please let's not compare it to US. Their GDP is a hundred times bigger than ours

If we shouldn’t compare the budget to the US’s because their GDP is many times bigger, why should we compare it to Ireland’s whose GDP is nearly 6x smaller? The Irish president also has many, many degrees less influence and soft power than the British monarch. The equivalent comparator would be something like France?

That is why I said other presidents are available.

I take your point, but six times smaller compared to 100 times bigger...
I was only trying to say it is not fact that a president costs more 😊

There is very little to truly admire about the current crop of royals unless you count the distracting shininess of them.

If you want us to vote on it, you first have to cost it.
So how much does the monarchy cost us?
How much would the new head of state cost?
What are your figures?

Actually the Irish presidents office costs more per person than the sovereign grant does the UK population. But the Irish costs us only to cover wages, subsistence, travel and office costs. The YK sovereign doesn't receive,wages but he has to payvfir his office. But the bulk goes on state buildings upkeep and entertaining national and international, citizens, dignitaries and heads of states. In Ireland that's extra to the Irish Presidents budget.

We know exactly what the Monarchy costs us (see my last but one post) apart from knowing the cost of security

How can we cost a presidency when we don't have one?

@Roussette Your costings are wrong.

Why do you say that?

I took it from Royal.uk. Official figures from the Palace. BP renovations might not be spot on, that was hard to work out but figures are correct.

Do you want a link?

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows that an elected head of state will much much cheaper than supporting the Windsor cabal.
No one can say HOW much cheaper because the Windsors keep their true costs secret . Handy that isn’t it ?
we do know that they have fully manned round the clock security for each of their 18 palaces regardless of the fact that most stand empty year after year. We are also paying for extended family members no one could pick out of a line up .

However Id support an elected head of state even if it was more expensive because it is the principle that matters.
How will the UK halt its steady decline when every child sees this bunch of thick and crass snobs handed the country - purely as a an accident of birth ? What a deadening hand on society in 2023

How much does the taxpayer give to the royal family?
86.3 million pounds last year! That is one year! In addition, the royals rake it in with all their estates, lettings, property development and bumped up the entry price to historical places.
It is a huge circus industry that is exhausting our finances!
No, this circus show is literally a very expensive circus show!

@Roussette Thanks. Send the link. I'm off to see my mum at her care home. Speak later.

Okey doke. 😊

https://www.royal.uk/financial-reports-2021-22

We are also paying for extended family members no one could pick out of a line up

I don't know why that made me laugh but it did 😂😅🤣

Incidentally, the latest Royal Report detailing spending and how much Sovereign Grant, staffing figures, private jet, royal train, helicopter flights, refurb of BP cost and more, always comes out in June

We are awaiting 2022/23.

I wonder when....only a few days of June to go, it's late.

Interesting to compare ‘royal’ reports with this

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/07/british-royal-family-wealth-finances-cost-of-the-crown-summary

its what they don’t mention …

Last point .

The Irish president does not claim €100000 that he is entitled to

The Japanese emperor covers the cost of the religious aspect of his coronation ( only the UK Japan and Tonga continue to insist on coronations)
But of course Windsors are happy for the increasingly poor population to foot the bill for everything - jubilees, days and days of mourning , unnecessary coronations
Utterly disgraceful

Oh god yes.

It's obscene it really is.

And I am sick of hearing that the palace does not comment on private matters when they blur the line between private and public matters far too much. That is said endlessly.
They won't answer the pressing questions in that article

Yep. Private when it suits them .
’figurehead’ when it suits them .

Its a scam and the British public are being taken for mugs .

I would accept Charles if he had a salary and was treated like any other head of state .

this.