News from the Centre for Citizenship
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Head of State’s Son In Cash “Fiddle”
Charles Windsor, heir to the position of head of state, has been borrowing money from the Duchy of Cornwall and failing to pay it back, according to a report in The Guardian. The newspaper reported that as much as £1.2m had probably been spent on renovations at one of Mr. Windsor’s houses, extra personal staff…
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State Church Rakes In Cash
The Church of England achieved a 13.6% return on its investments in 2004. The record of its investment fund over the last ten years put it in second place out of more than 1000 such funds. According to the Financial Times these profits resulted from heavy investment in commercial and residential property. The state church…
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Licence for Personal Computers Threatened
The government is considering a “levy” on owners of personal computers to finance the BBC. According to its green paper on the future of the state media giant this may be necessary if large numbers switch to watching TV on the Internet instead of using traditional television receivers. It is not clear whether the government…
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New Zealand Republic OK Says Windsor
Charles Windsor, son of Britain’s hereditary head of state, is reported to have said that he would be happy for New Zealand to become a republic. He told conservationist Chris Laidlaw in a 1997 conversation in Christchurch, New Zealand that “to be frank, I think it would come as a great relief to all of…
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Liz Windsor To Command Prayers For Charlie’s Wife
Britain’s hereditary head of state, Liz Windsor, intends to issue a royal warrant instructing members of the Church of England to say weekly prayers for her son’s new wife after they marry in April. Prayers are already said for Windsor, her husband and son. The Church of England, (aka the Anglican Church) is the state…
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Charlie Boosts Australian Republic Support
Ten per cent more of Australians would want their country to become a republic if Charlie Windsor, son of British hereditary head of state Liz Windsor, became “king” on the death of his mother according to a Roy Morgan International opinion poll. Fifty-one per cent of those polled supported a republic at present. However, sixty-one…