News from the Centre for Citizenship

Opposition to the absolute monarchy in Swaziland has shown a marked increase this year, according to the New York Times. In August a three-day trade union protest blocked a border crossing with South Africa. And the Swaziland Youth Congress has called for armed conflict. Observers attribute the increased opposition to king Mswati to the economic…

Michael Jeffrey, the new representative of the British monarchy in Australia, has admitted that a republic may be on the agenda for that country in as few as five years from now. Mr. Jeffrey was sworn in this week as the representative of the British queen and titular head of state in the former colony.…

David Garrard of the Minerva property group has been revealed by the Electoral Commission as the biggest individual donor to the Labour Party in the second quarter of 2003. Mr. Garrard, who was given the feudal title of “Knight” in the New Year honours list, donated £200,000. At the time the knighthood was awarded the…

The BBC, Britain’s state media giant, in under unprecedented attack for its part in events leading the death of David Kelly. It has been blamed by MP Robert Jackson for the apparent suicide of the weapons expert. The BBC justified its broadcasting of uncorroborated allegations about the government “sexing up” a dossier on Iraqi weapons…

Jeffrey Archer will again take his seat in parliament on his release from prison, according to press reports. Archer is a legislator-for-life and so not subject to election. He also holds the feudal title of “Lord” and will expect to be addressed as “My Lord” by honest citizens.

A report by the Labour Party affiliated Fabian Society has recommended that Britain keep a hereditary head of state. It does say that the monarch should no longer head the state church, however. And it calls for the hereditary ruler to lose the mainly formal powers to dissolve parliament, select the prime minister and approve…

Ten per cent or more of the population should be compelled to use the Internet for their tax returns and when using government services, according to a report for the Work Foundation (formally the Industrial Society). The authors make the remarkable claim that the state is “subsidising” taxpayers who are have Internet access and are…

Legislators in the House of Lords have rejected government proposals to limit the right to trial by jury, in another demonstration of the bizarre nature of Britain’s democracy. The proposals contained in the criminal justice bill had been agreed by a majority of the democratic legislators in the House of Commons, who are rarely willing…

The annual report of the BBC has been compared to that of disgraced US energy company Enron by MP Chris Bryant. He said that it was “just about the most complacent report I have ever seen.” Mr Bryant later apologised for his remarks following protests from the state broadcaster. The tax funded media giant reported…

The government intends to keep the power to veto the appointment of judges when a new judicial appointments commission is formed to take over this function from the abolished feudal office of Lord Chancellor. This setback to the separation of executive and judiciary was announced on Monday by constitutional affairs secretary and legislator-for-life Falconer as…