News from the Centre for Citizenship
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Windsor Taxes Revealed
Charles Windsor, heir to Britain’s hereditary office of head of state, has published details of his tax payments for the first time in an apparent effort to counter criticisms that he is too highly paid. Mr. Windsor revealed that in the 2005 – 2006 tax year he paid £3.3m on his income of £14m from…
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BBC To Pay £15m To Celebrity
The BBC has contracted to pay at least £15m over three years to TV and radio celebrity Jonathan Ross. This news comes as the state broadcaster is lobbying for a licence fee increase of 2.3 per cent above inflation for ten years. To raise the money to pay fees such as this, the BBC already…
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New Zealand Ends Feudal Title
The New Zealand parliament has voted to call senior lawyers Senior Counsel instead of Queen’s Counsel. The change has been welcomed by the Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand. However, the New Zealand Monarchist League described the reform as “a serious assault upon our national heritage”. The feudal title is still used in Britain where…
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Labour Defends Sale of Parliament Seats
A “senior (labour) party official” has admitted that a seat in parliament can be bought for cash, according to a report in the Financial Times. The official told the newspaper that it was acceptable for business people who made donations to finance “city academies” to be rewarded with the position of legislator-for-life, know euphemistically as…
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Government Retreat On Rule By Decree
The government has promised to narrow a proposed a new law that would allow it to rule by decree. New powers to amend or repeal laws without the agreement of parliament would now be limited to to regulatory matters, according to cabinet office minister Jim Murphy. The Financial Times said that the extraordinary law “would…
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23 New Legislators-for-Life
Twenty-three new legislators-for-life have been appointed to sit in the UK parliament. The new legislators who demonstrate their contempt for the rights of the British people include former trade union general secretary Bill Morris as well as a number of business people. Four nominees for legislator-for-life who had given large donations to the Labour or…
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High Court Stops Anglican Privilege
A law giving special rights to Anglicans has been declared a breach of human rights by the High Court. The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Act 2004 required that immigrants pay a fee of £135 in order to marry in the UK. But those who married in an Anglican church were exempt from…
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British Rights Fraud Exposed
The fraud of the British idea of the “rights” of the people has been exposed by the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill. If the Bill becomes law a government minister will be able to change existing laws without the consent of the legislature as long as this “does not prevent any person from continuing to…
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Prime Minister May Not Oppose Election Of Legislators
Prime Minister Tony Blair may no longer be opposed to the election of the legislators who sit in the House of Lords. According to newspaper reports Mr. Blair has come to the conclusion that the appointment of legislators by political parties instead of the people is hard to justify in the 21st century. The Prime…
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New South Wales Dumps Feudal Oath
Members of the New South Wales parliament in Australia have voted to abolish the feudal oath of loyalty to the Windsor family, from which the Australian head of state is still appointed. Instead legislators will pledge their loyalty to Australia and the people of New South Wales. In Britain legislators who will not pledge allegiance…