News from the Centre for Citizenship
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Lords Committee Proposes Reform But Not Democracy
Britain’s second chamber of Parliament should have 600 legislators and 15-year terms of office says a committee of legislators-for-life. Embed from Getty Images Legislator-for-life Norman Fowler presents report to House of Lords At present 826 legislators sit in the unelected chamber and can do so until they die. The committee recommended that the size of…
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Country Worried About Government – Queen Windsor Worried About Day At The Races
While the country worried about the formation of a new government following the last general election the country’s head of state was worried about something else – horse racing. Conservative Party leader Theresa May was trying to form an alliance with the Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). But queen Windsor was worrying that the…
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Legislator paid £15,000 to “to learn and meet people”
Legislator-for-life Digby Jones has taken £15,000 in expenses for a period in which he neither spoke in a House of Lords debate nor asked a question. He has not spoken in debate since April 2016. But he has claimed £15,290 in expenses for that period. The legislator has spoken just three times during four years.…
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SNP Hides Windsor Abuse of Privilege
The Scottish National Party Scottish government has refused to make public letters from Charles Windsor to Scottish government ministers lobbying for a charity called Teach First that he helped set up, according to a report in the Guardian. The letters urged support for the wish of that charity, Teach First, that fast-track teacher training be…
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Government Stalls on Release of Windsor Letters
According to a report in the Independent newspaper the government is “stalling” the publication of letters from Charles Windsor (aka Prince Charles) to former Prime Minister Tony Blair about the hunting of foxes. This follows a ruling by Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham that there was a “clear and compelling public interest” for the letters to be…
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Australia: Hope for Democracy Over Hereditary Privilege
The hope that Australia might be freed from monarchy and join the growing number of former British colonies that have become republics increased last week when the Australian Labor Party leader promised a referendum if his party won the next general election. Bill Shorten, Labor Party leader, said that the referendum would be held before…
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BBC Made to Correct Pro-Monarchy Errors
Still Downplays Cost The UK’s state-sponsored broadcaster has backed away from its claim that Elizabeth Windsor is the owner of the so-called Crown Estate. This followed a complaint from Republic, the UK’s biggest republican group. Republic complained to the Corporation about a video that was supposed to give the facts about the cost of the…
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Christian Charity Child Beating – Claims By State Church Head Questioned
Channel 4 News has questioned the claim by Justin Welby, head of the UK’s state church, that he was abroad at the time that boys were beaten at Christian summer camps run by the Irwerne Trust. Welby had said that he had had no contact with the camps after 1978. The news programme claimed that…
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BBC Claims No “Public Interest” In Early Release of Enforcement Investigation
The TV Licensing blog has reported that the BBC has rejected a Freedom of Information request to release a report into the behaviour of its licence investigators on the grounds that it was intended for future publication at time unknown. The state-sponsored broadcaster said that “We do not consider that there is particular public interest in…
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Facebook Blocks Content That Offends Monarchists
In the second half of 2016 Facebook blocked 40 items that allegedly broke Thailand’s laws forbidding disrespect for the monarch. That was an increase from 10 in the first half of that year. Facebook claims that it must do this when a court order is issued under Thailand’s lèse majesté laws that deny free speech…