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Archived Posts from “Monarchy”

The Monarchy -reform or replace?

23

July

At The Sharpener, Andrew has an interesting idea as to what could replace the Monarch as ceremonial head of state. This follow on from an excellent discussion at Robert Sharp’s a few weeks back, but rather than rehash my old posts, might as well simply link to them. Why I converted from Republicanism to constititutional monarchism, and why we need a constitutional convention to sort this, and all the other messes, out.

Why is it all the interesting stuff happens when I’ve been busy?


Happy Birthday Ma’am: The Monarchy (redux)

21

April

Well, she’s now 80. Everyone is making a fuss about it, the BBC is running specials all over the place, the book(s) of the week are a series of biographies, etc. As I’ve covered before, I’m a convert tot eh idea of a proper, ceremonial monarch.

The current fudge, where most of the powers of the Prime Minister are really Crown Prerogative powers, and no one is really sure what she can (or cannot) do is, well, messy. Still, at least our lot get the whole point of being Head of State, not Head of Government.

Defining (and limiting) the powers of the Executive as exercised by and on behalf of the Monarch has to be a central objective of constitutional reform. But this former republican is now utterly convinced that it is reform that is needed. Besides, Starkey thinks Blair is the modern Charles II.

who “never said a foolish thing and never did a wise one”. For Starkey, Blair has, “the same slipperiness, the same duplicity, the same ability to tell utterly convincing lies”.

It was Charles I that got his head chopped off. Maybe we could just chop Blair?

Still, let’s not be cynical. Wait, she appointed him. She could fire him as well. Ma’am? Give the nation a gift on your birthday?


The Monarchy: What’s Cameron up to now?

06

February

So, Dave wants to reform the powers of the Queen does he? Remove the PMs power to declare war without Parliamentary approval? Check the prerogative powers exercised by Ministers? Dave mate, are you sure you’re not really a Whig? What are you doing in the Conservative Party? Changing the way the constitution doesn’t work so that people may respect it more?
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"The penalty that good men pay for not being interested in politics is to be governed by men worse than themselves."
-PLATO (427-347BCE)
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