News from the Centre for Citizenship

At a Fabian Society conference on Saturday House of Commons Leader Peter Hain suggested that legislators in Parliament’s second chamber be indirectly elected. Election would be by a “secondary mandate” system under which seats would be allocated according to the parties’ share of the vote in the general election to the House of Commons. Under…

In a new episode of the long-running farce, Charles Windsor donned fancy dress to visit British troops in Iraq at the weekend. Mr. Windsor wore battle dress showing the insignia of the Parachute Regiment. He is said to particularly enjoy dressing up in the tough regiment’s uniform although, according to the Financial Times, “his belief…

Culture & Sports Secretary Tessa Jowell has told the Financial Times that is “somewhere between unlikely and improbable” that the BBC will lose it right to extort money through its annual TV licence. Funding by means of a licence rather than other taxes costs TV owners £146m each year in enforcement costs, infringes civil liberties…

Gavyn Davies and Greg Dyke, the two multi-millionaires who ran the BBC while pursuing unemployed single parents through the courts for not paying the company for permission to watch other TV channels, have resigned. Their resignations followed the Hutton inquiry’s condemnation of the media giant’s shoddy journalism that had allowed it to broadcast and then…

An official document leaked to the Sunday Times newspaper has brought to light the names of 300 people who have rejected an award under Britain’s feudal honours system. The names include Graham Greene, David Hockney, John le Carré, Robert Graves, Francis Bacon, Aldous Huxley, Evelyn Waugh, J B Priestley, Anthony Powell, Roald Dahl, Philip Larkin,…

Outgoing labour party general secretary David Triesman has been made a legislator-for-life in the House of Lords on the recommendation of prime minister Tony Blair. Mr. Triesman refused to comment to the press on whether the seat in parliament was a part of a compensation package for the loss of his job. It has also…

New members must not be required to swear an oath of loyalty to Liz Windsor, the matriarch of Britain’s Windsor family, The Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) has been told. The ruling was issued by the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commission. Commissioner Jocelyn Scutt said that this was “the first decision of its kind relating…

Three businessmen who have donated cash to the Conservative Party are likely to be made legislators-for-life, according to a report in the Financial Times. Leonard Sternberg, one of the donors, is expected to make another, seven figure, donation shortly, the newspaper said. Sternberg gave £110,000 to the party last year. If the report is accurate…

Despite causing derision and bafflement Britain’s system of awarding honours is not to be changed, according to a government announcement. This is despite an official review finding that the highly stratified system of state awards is failing in it’s supposed objective of “making the country feel good about itself”. The government has decided that change…

The BBC state media giant is setting up a freedom of information team. According to press adverts the team’s purpose is to help the Corporation comply with the Freedom of Information Act. It is illegal in Britain to receive terrestrial, satellite, cable or Internet TV broadcasts without permission from the BBC. The Freedom of Information…