News from the Centre for Citizenship

The time for which unelected legislators-for-life may delay laws passed by elected legislators is likely to be limited after the general election, according to a report in the Financial Times. The newspaper reported that this was the most likely restriction on the so-called Lords’ powers to be included in the Labour Party manifesto. The legislators-for-life…

The Australian Senate Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee has recommended in its report The Road To A Republic that any future move to make Australia a republic should have three stages. The first step would be a plebiscite on the principle of becoming a republic. If a majority favoured a republic there would be a…

Labour MP Derek Wyatt has said that giving the BBC a new ten-year charter would be “folly”. In an article in the Financial Times the House of Common culture committee member says that the state media giant should be treated as “any other utility” with its funding reviewed by the Treasury every three years. Mr.…

Entrepreneur Paul Drayson gave £505,000 to the Labour Party six weeks after being made a legislator-for-life on the recommendation of Prime Minister Tony Blair, according to information released by the Electoral Commission. Drayson was awarded a peerage that entitles him to a permanent seat in the legislature. The Financial Times reported that neither the Labour…

Charles Windsor, heir to head of state, took £11,913,000 from the Duchy of Cornwall last year before tax. This was nearly £2m more than the previous year. Some of this income was spent on what are termed “official” duties. The value of the estate increased by £55m to £463m, growth of one-fifth. Although Mr. Windsor…

A MORI poll suggests that two-thirds of the population would prefer that the BBC be financed, at least in part, from sources other than the viewing licence. Twenty-five percent wanted the state media giant to raise some income from advertising and sponsorship. At present no one in the UK may watch TV of any kind…

The British Broadcasting Corp. has confirmed that its former director general, Greg Dyke, was paid £800,000 in 2003. Mr. Dyke left BBC, which is financed by a levy on all TV viewers, after the Hutton enquiry’s criticisms of the media giant.

The House of Commons Public Administration Committee has recommended that no more knighthoods be awarded. Under Britain’s feudal system knights expect to be deferred to as “Sir” or “Dame.” The committee said that these titles are “redolent of past preoccupations with rank and class.” They would be replaced with the title “Companion of Honour.” If…

The unelected legislators in the House of Lords have voted 240 to 208 to reject a government proposal to abolish the position of Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor is a government minister who is also head of the judiciary. The so-called Lords objected to the replacement of the feudal office with democratic arrangements that would…

The assets of the Church of England increased in value by £430m to a total of £3.9bn last year. This followed three years of poor results for the state church. The Church Commissioners, who include the prime minister and the minister for sport, reported the figures. The Commissioners are accountable to parliament.