Abolish the Monarchy: Why we should and how we will

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Such a great explanation of the various reasons why a republic is the right and necessary thing in a democracy. He takes the opportunity to look through many honourable but too often unsung European examples including, but not exclusively, the presidencies of: Ireland, Iceland, Finland and Germany.

Beyond that, two other men will continue to remind people - for very different reasons - what's wrong with the royals. Unwilling to make the case for republicanism on its own merits, Smith builds his argument on the apparent shortcomings of monarchy itself. monarchy represents the unelected rule of the disproportionately privileged over those who suffer due to economic inequality. This is a very timely reminder of the constitutional absurdity of our taxpayer-funded Royal Family that is at war with itself.This is Graham Smith’s experience of attending innumerable public and media debates with defenders of the institution.

This is the crux of the matter: it is likely that those who truly want to keep the monarchy are actually now in the minority. Instead, Smith has produced a polemic that is more likely to alienate people who are already opposed to the monarchy than to persuade them to change their minds. Smith, understandably, stays silent on the cases of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate, involving as they did regicide, military dictatorship and ultimately the kind of dynasticism that republicanism is meant to impede.

I liked his use of personal anecdotes, such as him visiting Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London with his nephews. A president put in a similar position to the queen, without constitutional protocols to follow, would have encountered the same troubles. Royal Consent laws allow for senior Royals access to legislation at the drafting phase to make sure they don’t compromise their private interests. We should abolish monarchy, he says, because it stands for prejudice, elitism, favouritism and the like, values which are anathema to the British people. I intend to try recommending it to reflexively pro-monarchy people who might be intrigued by the uncompromising title.

His aspirational democratic principles stand in stark contrast to the way we are actually governed today. Thomas Paine does get a mention, though one is left with the suspicion that Smith’s acquaintance with him comes via The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations rather than Rights of Man, since he is invoked merely to make the point that the appearance of something being correct doesn’t make it so.Eventually, the government will be unable to ignore public clamour for a referendum on the monarchy’s continuation. As some of the largest land and business owners in the country, those interests are considerable so consequently is their interests in our lawmaking process.

It is a waste of time and money that should be avoided by anyone who values history, democracy and good writing. Charles, even before Diana's death, was clearly a selfish fool and his father was already infamous for his foul faux pas.Polls are showing young people wanting an elected head of state, support for the monarchy in Scotland has fallen below fifty per cent and Commonwealth countries are lining up to ditch the Crown. My only wish is that the author will produce a cheat sheet of all the stats and arguments summarised and ready to either draw on - when doing demonstrations or in discussions on the streets - or, better still, commit to memory. For those who think we should just leave them to be as they do no harm, read this book s it may just change your view. The British Monarchy appears so invincible and unassailable that it’s defenders are getting complacent. He says that the attitudes of the royal family to race are contrary to the nation’s sense of fairness and equity.