[Politics] Is it time for the UK to become a republic?

[Bold Seagull]

£19billion according to Forbes.

https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/how-much-money-royal-family-20757359

Okay, so lets break your link down. Berkshire Live quotes the Express, which quotes Forbes as saying the Royal family is WORTH £19billion. Forbes doesn't put a figure on the income generated, but the Express estimates it at £1.9bn but they don't really put any detail on where they get that from.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

King Charles III exempt from paying inheritance tax on the vast fortune he inherits from his mum. So that's nice for him.

Most of the inheritance is material, not cash. Antiques from previous sovereigns, which he can’t sell. Each sovereign is aware they are only custodians.

Some things are gifted to the public, like the Royal Pavilion from Victoria, and Glamis Castle (the family seat of the Queen Mother) which was left in her will.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Easily dealt with by transferring most of the estates into state hands. I'm paying as little attention to this as possible but I gather that our new monarch is considering giving up Buck P, so there's a start.

BP belongs to the state anyway.

 

[Bold Seagull]

The tourism is a drop in the ocean compared to the income from the Crown Estates. £385 million every year of which the king gets £85-100 million to pay over 400 staff, and for the upkeep of the residences. The Treasury gains.
Farm produce, rents from homes etc etc.

The Crown Estates would most likely return to public ownership in the event of becoming a republic, so it's not like the income would be lost.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Can we wait until after Her Majesty has been buried, before people try and point score about getting rid of the royals or not.

Bit Crass to be honest.

 

[nicko31]

I'm not that bothered about whether we are a Republic or not, with the Queen now gone I'd go with it if I was asked, I can't think of a compelling reason to keep the status quo

Learning from past mistakes which create division, it would need a majority of votes of favour in a majority of the 4 Union nations or some other super majority threshold. (John Howard ,Australia 1999 rule)

Short of a full R, we need urgent constitutional reform. As things stand we have another head of State by accident of birth and a PM put there be 81k golf club bores!!

 

[Weststander]

See .... [MENTION=12935]GT49er[/MENTION] .... I said don't go by those who seek to dominate every non-football thread.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The Crown Estates would most likely return to public ownership in the event of becoming a republic, so it's not like the income would be lost.

No they wouldn’t. Those lands belong to them.

Buckingham Palace belongs to the state, in any case. I should imagine it would be less of a headache for the Royal household to release it and let the state keep it up.
More was spent on the Palace of Westminster’s upkeep but that’s only for the politicians.

 

[Pavilionaire]

For me the question essentially boils down to this:

The risk of entrusting the public to vote for a Head of State who might then crash the country vs. the sealed-in, permanence of the ruling classes in society that guarantees inequality and elitism in perpetuity.

I was just on the side of the monarchy but in recent months have gone the other way and am now leaning towards a republic. Boris Johnson's Brexit, his abject government, his pitiful successor and the end of Her Majesty have been key factors.

 

[Bold Seagull]

No they wouldn’t. Those lands belong to them.

Buckingham Palace belongs to the state, in any case. I should imagine it would be less of a headache for the Royal household to release it and let the state keep it up.
More was spent on the Palace of Westminster’s upkeep but that’s only for the politicians.

That's not strictly true. The public lands of the monarchy, which fund the monarch's public responsibilities - i.e. running the government, etc. form the Crown Estates. In 1760, the monarch transferred responsibility for funding civil government to Parliament - and so, since that time, the revenues from the Crown Estates have been transferred to Parliament for return of the Royal grant . Since George III each monarch has signed over the Crown lands to the state. Given we don't know what a dissolution of the royals would look like. You make a statement that the Crown Estates belong to them, but the reality is much more complex.

 

[rogersix]

The tourism is a drop in the ocean compared to the income from the Crown Estates. £385 million every year of which the king gets £85-100 million to pay over 400 staff, and for the upkeep of the residences. The Treasury gains.
Farm produce, rents from homes etc etc.

blimey! that needs looking at! who the devil negotiated that deal!

 

[Clive Walker]

i just like voting. Voting prospects in and voting bad eggs out! It wont always end up successful.

I don't like the idea Heads of States being appointed the moment when that being pops out of the 'right' vagina at the right time! That is a thing of the past!

 

[rogersix]

Can we wait until after Her Majesty has been buried, before people try and point score about getting rid of the royals or not.

Bit Crass to be honest.

it never is a good time, if it's not to your taste, don't click on the thread, easy done.

avoiding all the weepin' anda wailin' is another thing all together

 

[Guinness Boy]

i just like voting. Voting prospects in and voting bad eggs out! It wont always end up successful.

I don't like the idea Heads of States being appointed the moment when that being pops out of the 'right' vagina at the right time! That is a thing of the past!

Only when the candidates are worth voting for. Not when it's binary and both are awful.

I'm pretty sure Boris came out of the right vagina at the right time. Don't tell me you think he'd have become PM if he was a black kid from an inner city estate in Coventry.

 

[rogersix]

£19billion according to Forbes.

https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/how-much-money-royal-family-20757359

ah, wishful thinking! i knew it was made up by someone or other!

 

[Clive Walker]

Only when the candidates are worth voting for. Not when it's binary and both are awful.

I'm pretty sure Boris came out of the right vagina at the right time. Don't tell me you think he'd have become PM if he was a black kid from an inner city estate in Coventry.

He'd still have a shot but given the way Britain holds the elite in such regard his chances would have been limited.

Anyway we know the next 2 HOS after Chas Tois will be male, white, christian, heterosexual, etc. Welcome to democratic, multi cultural Britain.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Get rid of this narcissistic sociopath and put Chuck in Number 10 instead. Sorted.

 

[1066familyman]

blimey! that needs looking at! who the devil negotiated that deal!

Yeah, but...

'This is not just Farm Poduce... This is Crown Estate Farm Produce.'

Makes one so proud.

 

[Gwylan]

I'm all for an elected head of state but not in isolation. It's pointless have an elected president with an unelected second chamber. And we also need a president with some teeth so he or she is not purely ceremonial.

I like the German model where the president does very little but can act if the chancellor does something that's bang out of order. Someone like Richard von Weizsäcker is the sort of person we want: someone to act as the moral conscience of the nation, to not to get too involved in politics but intervene if necessary (even if against his or her own party).

I'm not sure who the closest example would be in the UK: John Major? Kenneth Clarke? Rory Stewart? Dominic Grieve?

 

[Blue3]

If we can all agree that every country needs a head of state then I’ve yet to see a republic that has provided one that’s any where near as impressive, ceremonial, a rallying point, while being completely non political.

Then there’s how would a presidential candidate be appointed and for what duration it’s a no for me.

Our current constitutional monarchy is not perfect but it’s a hell of a lot better than any of the alternatives available