News from the Centre for Citizenship
-
Windsors Resist Parliamentary Scrutiny of Income
The Windsor family is resisting greater parliamentary scrutiny of its £21m annual income from the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall. Parliament’s public accounts committee wants the Treasury to review the workings of the duchies and for their accounts to be audited by the National Audit Office. The family’s head of finance, Michael Peat, said that…
-
State of Rebellion Against Windsor Son
Many of the 2000 inhabitants of the Scilly Isles are “in a state of rebellion” against the son of Britain’s hereditary head of state, according to the conservative Sunday Telegraph newspaper. The newspaper reported that the Scilly islanders are “appalled and disgusted” because the Duchy of Cornwall, which is Mr. Windsor’s main source of income,…
-
Windsors Take More Millions
British taxpayers were obliged to pick up a £36.7m bill for the Windsor family in the 2004 – 2005 financial year according to newly published figures. This was in addition to the £13m annual income that Charles Windsor takes from the public property holdings known as the Duchy of Cornwall and the £8.3m (March 2004…
-
Greatest Force for Cultural Good Spurs Vandalism
The BBC state broadcasting giant, which has styled itself “the greatest force for cultural good on the face of the earth”, is spending public money glorifying graffiti vandalism. Its Web site is publishing a cartoon called Taggerz (a reference to the vandal’s practice of spraying their personal “tag” on private and public property) about a…
-
Australians Banishing Feudal Symbols
The removal of monarchical symbols from Australian public life is picking up speed. In April the New South Wales (NSW) legislative assembly agreed an amendment to the state consitution that would replace the pledge of loyalty to queen Windsor taken by ministers and MPs with a pledge to Australia and the people of NSW. The…
-
Republicans Welcome Oaths Reform As Step To Republic
Republicans See Oaths Reform As Step To Republic New Zealand republicans have welcomed the Oaths Modernisation Bill, which will require new citizens and legislators to swear or affirm loyalty to New Zealand and to its democracy, rights and freedoms as well as to Elizabeth Windsor, Britain’s hereditary head of state. The Republicans Movement of Aotearoa…
-
Twenty-seven New Legislators-for-Life
Prime Minister Tony Blair has appointed 27 new legislators-for-life to sit in the House of Lords. Sixteen of the new legislators are labour party members, giving that party its first majority in the second chamber. A number of the new legislators are former MPs who chose not to stand for election by the people this…
-
Tories Protest Against Democratic Reforms
The conservative party has protested against government plans to reform the House of Lords. Party spokesman Oliver Head said that reform of the unelected legislative chamber would marginalize what he described as “the only chamber of parliament these days that is able to stand up to” the prime minister. If government proposals are agreed it…
-
PM Gives In On Election of Legislators
Prime Minister Tony Blair is said to have put aside his opposition to the election of House of Lords legislators after long arguments in the cabinet. As a result the Labour Party election manifesto includes a commitment to a free vote on the composition of that chamber. It is likely that this will eventually lead…
-
Newspapers ban republican adverts
The Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph newspapers have refused to run advertisements placed by Republic, Britain’s largest republican group. The advert called for the right to appoint the head of state to be taken from the Windsor family and given to the people through elections. The Telegraph told The Guardian newspaper that such adverts were…