News from the Centre for Citizenship
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No Representation Without Donation
Defenders of the House of Lords have suffered a further setback as a result of revelations that some legislators-for-life have been keen to accept payments in return for influencing legislation. This has undermined the apologists’ claim that the undemocratic chamber is justified by the high-minded independence of the unelected legislators. The scandal caused the Financial…
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Republican Momentum Maintained
Mark Dreyfus, who chairs the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the Australian parliament, has called for a plebiscite to measure support for an Australian republic. Prime minister Kevin Rudd, a republican, had said that a referendum would not be a priority in the first term of his Labour Party government. Mr. Dreyfus believes that a plebiscite,…
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Civil Rights Are Threat to Constitution Say Conservatives
Britain’s conservatives have reacted to talk of ending the privileges of Britain’s minority Anglicans with the horror stories that have long characterised their resistance to the application of democratic principles to Britain’s feudal constitution. Conservative party shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert said that disestablishment of the Church of England would be “constitutional vandalism”. An editorial…
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Prince to Behave as King
Charles Windsor has told his biographer, Jonathan Dimbleby, that he intends to act like a king when he takes over from his mother as Britain’s hereditary head of state. Mr. Dimbleby says that Windsor plans to be a “political” head of state. He describes what is planned as “a seismic shift” in the role of…
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First New Zealand Senior Counsel Appointed
New Zealand has appointed the its first Senior Counsel. The title is given to senior barristers (trial lawyers) in some former British colonies in place of Queen’s Counsel. Both New Zealand and Australia now use the term, although both have Britain’s hereditary head of state as their national figurehead. The New Zealand republican movement welcomed…
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Monarchy Pays
According to figures published by the Financial Times a 2head of a clan” in the Italian Mafia can expect to make as much as £408,000 a year. Charles Windsor, second in command of Britain’s Windsor clan, took in excess of £16m from the British people last year. No other country is known to provide the…
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BBC Cuts Champagne
The BBC has canceled its champagne order, on which it spent £40,000 of the people’s money last year, amidst fears that the recession will drive more to refuse the £139.50 annual levy that it imposes for permission to watch TV. The feared loss of income is despite the state broadcaster’s recent “Evaders will pay” billboard…
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Australian Poll on Republic Proposed
Australians may vote in the 2010 federal elections on whether their country should become a republic. Green Senator Bob Brown has introduced legislation that would require the poll. The Greens hope that proposing the legislation will help measure public opinion. According to the Ottawa Citizen newspaper 70 per cent of Australians want to end the…
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Republican to Lead New Zealand
Republican John Key will become the prime minister of New Zealand following the success of his National Party in the general election last weekend. Mr. Key has said that it is “inevitable” that his country will become a republic. He believes this might happen when Elizabeth Windsor ceases to be Britain’s hereditary head of state…
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Fairy Tale Continues for British Bankers
The crisis in the world economy has provided another demonstration of the absurdity of Britain’s official class system. Two “knights” and one “lord” have lost their high-powered jobs as a result of the state rescue of British banks. Both Fred Goodwin and Tom McKillop, chief executive and chairman of RBS, have left the bank. Denis…