News from the Centre for Citizenship
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Being Not Doing
Another division in British society has been exposed by a report from the City and Guilds, which shows that almost 25 per cent of the richest British entrepreneurs and business executives who started out by getting “their hands dirty on the shop floor” are Scottish in origin. Since the class system seems less rigid in…
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Speech Unfree
The limits on free speech in Britain were apparent when Republic was prevented from holding a peaceful protest outside the Windsors’ main London palace near Victoria station. In other free speech infringements republicans and others are not allowed to advertise on TV but are obliged, if they want permission to legally watch any TV at…
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Windsor Scam
When it published its annual accounts the Windsor family again claimed that it costs the taxpayers only £37m a year. Republic, the group that campaigns for the abolition of the feudal institution, put the true figure at closer to £152m. This includes police protection and tax breaks for family members. It does not include their…
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State Broadcaster Wastes Money
The millions of Britons who have paid the BBC for a licence to watch television will now pay for 16,500 of the corporation’s staff to attend ethics seminars. This follows the revelation that supposed winners of TV competitions were in fact employees of the media giant. The state broadcaster takes £3bn annually from television viewers…
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Australia Tells Windsors To Stay Home
A second attempt by a Windsor family member to take a top Australian public position has failed. Prime Minister John Howard has declared that 25 year old William Windsor is an unacceptable candidate for governor-general of his country. Mr. Windsor’s father, Charles Windsor, was rejected for the same position in the 1980s. He was reported…
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Australian Taxpayers Buy Bling For Absentee Head of State
Australian taxpayers may be paying as much as £146,000 towards the cost of a yet to be completed “jewel-encrusted carriage” for Elizabeth Windsor. It is to be an 80th birthday present for the country’s absentee head of state, although Ms. Windsor reached her 80th year in 2006. The West Australian newspaper reported that the gift…
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Queen Windsor Reveals Opposition to Democracy
Hereditary head of state Elizabeth Windsor feels “exasperated and frustrated” by the Prime Minister’s ten years in office according to the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. Her concerns ranged from the way the Prime Minister’s wife dressed, through his failure to accord her some undemocratic privileges, to his government’s attempts at democratic reform. Tony Blair’s offences are…
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Canadian Oath Case To Be Heard
A Canadian Superior Court judge has ruled that a legal action to overturn the requirement that new citizens swear an oath of loyalty to Elizabeth Windsor should be heard. Justice Belobaba rejected the argument of government lawyers that the case was frivolous and vexatious. Ms Windsor is the hereditary head of state of Canada although…
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Canadian Republicans May Get Civil Rights Hearing
The Canadian government seems likely to fail in an attempt to stop a court hearing a claim that it is depriving republicans of a civil right. The legal action, brought by Citizens for a Canadian Republic member Charles Roach, will seek a ruling that requiring new citizens of Canada swear an oath of allegiance to…
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Republicans Bow to Queen
It was difficult to know which nation should have felt more ashamed when queen Windsor dined at the White House on Monday during her Washington trip. According to the New York Times, it was “Texas swagger” meeting “British prim”. White House aides advised citizens of the American republic that they should observe British absurdities by…