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

[Bakero]

Lots of sources saying well over 4 billion. Half the bloody planet.

I'm struggling to believe that. Even if they weren't asleep or at work, why would more than half the world want to watch a funeral?

 

[Bakero]

Atlanta Olympics (not one of the best) got 3.6B for its opening ceremony. Today's event was peak time viewing across China and India, this can make a big impact

I doubt your average bloke in Beijing was too bothered. Apparently, in India it wasn't broadcast on any TV station and there were no public screenings.

 

[Machiavelli]

I have been a republican for much of my life, but recent world events would suggest to me that we should keep the monarchy. I think the vast swings toward populism are probably curtailed a wee bit by having a royal family as a patriotism valve as it were.

Very few people understand what populism is. That said, Farage is a populist, and he launched a populist crusade against the EU. From where I'm at, not entirely sure the royal family were a valve with that.

 

[GT49er]

No it isn't. And I suspecct the push towards it is markedly less than t was 24 hours ago, at least for a while.

 

[clapham_gull]

Atlanta Olympics (not one of the best) got 3.6B for its opening ceremony. Today's event was peak time viewing across China and India, this can make a big impact

Lots of sources saying well over 4 billion. Half the bloody planet.

No TV networks in India took the coverage and there were no public screenings so I'm not sure where you got that. Would have been available on the internet of course, but The Royal Family is quite a divisive subject in India.

The 4 billion figure widely quoted (by papers such the Express) appears to have been sourced from a single Argentine "tv analyst" who works for a website called "WatchTVAbroad".

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/queens-funeral-could-41billion-viewers-25021252
https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1670997/Queen-funeral-viewing-figures
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...atched-broadcast-time-4-1BILLION-viewers.html
https://www.indy100.com/news/queen-funeral-viewing-figures-numbers

A site which mainly appears to advertise/re-sell paid VPN services, explaining to readers how they can still watch Doc Martin in Majorca and of course the funeral if their local stations have decided not to buy the broadcast.

I'd wait for the official analysis personally.

 

[Half Time Pies]

Not sure that makes any sense. You could have a system where you vote for an MP in your constituency and also for the Prime Minister whilst retaining a monarchy.

As for your last sentence, what powers do the monarchy currently exercise that renders them not ceremonial?

You could have a system like that but the reality is you are never going to get real change tinkering with the existing system, there is too much vested interest in maintaining the status quo! Removing the monarch as head of state would require a change of the system itself and within that process an opportunity to bring our democracy in to the modern age.

And in terms of your final point either the role currently performed by the Monarchy as Head of State has powers, in which case it needs to be elected and accountable, or the Monarchy doesn't have powers in which case it has no place or purpose in in a system of governance and needs to sit outside of it.

 

[clapham_gull]

Was of course on in Australia.

[tweet]1571958325348290560[/tweet]

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Someone on the other thread said the BBC were reporting that 5.1 billion people around the world tuned in to watch the funeral today. Did they really claim that? 500 million seems more likely.

Reading various posts on a Veterans FB page, CNN covered the whole day, Australia, Canada etc.
I was on holiday in France and BFM tv channel were broadcasting live using the BBC coverage every day, so it doesn’t surprise me that the numbers are so high.

 

[Weststander]

Reading various posts on a Veterans FB page, CNN covered the whole day, Australia, Canada etc.
I was on holiday in France and BFM tv channel were broadcasting live using the BBC coverage every day, so it doesn’t surprise me that the numbers are so high.

It would include internet viewing and catchup.

When the BBC or C4 boast about viewing (or listening) figures eg GBBO or Strictly, the numbers are always swelled to a huge extent by people who had a little look a bit later on.

 

[clapham_gull]

Reading various posts on a Veterans FB page, CNN covered the whole day, Australia, Canada etc.
I was on holiday in France and BFM tv channel were broadcasting live using the BBC coverage every day, so it doesn’t surprise me that the numbers are so high.

The viewing figures will be huge but not "5.1 billion reported by the BBC" that started as a joke on Twitter by a parody Prince William account.

 

[jcdenton08]

Why can’t some people just accept the wider public don’t see things the way they do? Small reference pools.

Small reference pools.

Repeat after me, small reference pools.

 

[clapham_gull]

It would include internet viewing and catchup.

When the BBC or C4 boast about viewing (or listening) figures eg GBBO or Strictly, the numbers are always swelled to a huge extent by people who had a little look a bit later on.

Viewing figures are based on 5,300 homes about 12,000 people in total who are monitored very closely.

It's going to be expanded to 7,000 homes.

For people watching "online", they can only tell the number of devices being used - not how many people.

All is extrapolated together to calculate the "viewing" figures, but it's very much an estimate.

The traditional broadcasters have had to get used to the fact that viewing figures aren't everything. Top Gear had huge viewing figures globally (ridiculous) and the Grand Tour on Amazon next to nothing in comparison.

However it was a brilliant advert for "Amazon Prime", not so much for the TV but the paid up front delivery costs for Amazon stuff. Like many others, I signed up after reading the details in the newspaper coverage.

 

[Weststander]

Viewing figures are based on 5,300 homes about 12,000 people in total who are monitored very closely.

It's going to be expanded to 7,000 homes.

For people watching "online", they can only tell the number of devices being used - not how many people.

All is extrapolated together to calculate the "viewing" figures, but it's very much an estimate.

The traditional broadcasters have had to get used to the fact that viewing figures aren't everything. Top Gear had huge viewing figures globally (ridiculous) and the Grand Tour on Amazon next to nothing in comparison.

However it was a brilliant advert for "Amazon Prime", not so much for the TV but the paid up front delivery costs for Amazon stuff. Like many others, I signed up after reading the details in the newspaper coverage.

Thanks.

Only going by look-at-us viewing/listening figure press releases, when you delve in, C4/BBC openly admit that the headline catching high GBBO or Strictly figures include catch up. Also a generic question … did you watch any of? Would that be from the 12,000 in the BBC’s case?

 

[clapham_gull]

Thanks.

Only going by look-at-us viewing/listening figure press releases, when you delve in, C4/BBC openly admit that the headline catching high GBBO or Strictly figures include catch up. Also a generic question … did you watch any of? Would that be from the 12,000 in the BBC’s case?

They get it all from BARB still I think, all explained here: https://www.barb.co.uk/ and how they include catch up. I used to work for a company in Camden where a bloke randomly was one of the BARB viewers, I've never met anyone since

Did I watch it ? A bit flicking through the channels. I finally got Covid for the first time and have spent a lot of the day asleep.

Clearly impeccable coverage, but it's been planned (and reviewed) for a very very long time and signed off by the lady herself.

I was reading tonight the coffin was made 30 years ago.

 

[Weststander]

They get it all from BARB still I think, all explained here: https://www.barb.co.uk/ and how they include catch up. I used to work for a company in Camden where a bloke randomly was one of the BARB viewers, I've never met anyone since

Did I watch it ? A bit flicking through the channels. I finally got Covid for the first time and have spent a lot of the day asleep.

Clearly impeccable coverage, but it's been planned (and reviewed) for a very very long time and signed off by the lady herself.

I was reading tonight the coffin was made 30 years ago.

I hope you fully recover!

On two trips to central London this week just to mill around, I realised why Operation London Bridge really was necessary. Unbelievably vast crowds especially this weekend. Control was necessary, miles of security fencing and barriers that didn’t just become available overnight, 10,000’s security/stewards/volunteers, plus we spotted 100’s TV camera hides and booms from Hyde Park to Parliament Square. A lot of joinery and some prebuilt sets.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

They get it all from BARB still I think, all explained here: https://www.barb.co.uk/ and how they include catch up. I used to work for a company in Camden where a bloke randomly was one of the BARB viewers, I've never met anyone since

Did I watch it ? A bit flicking through the channels. I finally got Covid for the first time and have spent a lot of the day asleep.

Clearly impeccable coverage, but it's been planned (and reviewed) for a very very long time and signed off by the lady herself.

I was reading tonight the coffin was made 30 years ago.

Get well soon.

 

[Bakero]

Reading various posts on a Veterans FB page, CNN covered the whole day, Australia, Canada etc.
I was on holiday in France and BFM tv channel were broadcasting live using the BBC coverage every day, so it doesn’t surprise me that the numbers are so high.

But that's 2/3 of the world's population. Seeing as it wasn't even broadcast in India, it seems rather fanciful. Even if we take the lower figure reported by the press of 4.1 billion.

At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. Those that wanted to watched.

 

[drew]

You could have a system like that but the reality is you are never going to get real change tinkering with the existing system, there is too much vested interest in maintaining the status quo! Removing the monarch as head of state would require a change of the system itself and within that process an opportunity to bring our democracy in to the modern age.

And in terms of your final point either the role currently performed by the Monarchy as Head of State has powers, in which case it needs to be elected and accountable, or the Monarchy doesn't have powers in which case it has no place or purpose in in a system of governance and needs to sit outside of it.

What do you think actually happens now? What place in governance do you think the monarch actually plays?

 

[beorhthelm]

No TV networks in India took the coverage and there were no public screenings so I'm not sure where you got that. Would have been available on the internet of course, but The Royal Family is quite a divisive subject in India.

The 4 billion figure widely quoted (by papers such the Express) appears to have been sourced from a single Argentine "tv analyst" who works for a website called "WatchTVAbroad".

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/queens-funeral-could-41billion-viewers-25021252
https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1670997/Queen-funeral-viewing-figures
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...atched-broadcast-time-4-1BILLION-viewers.html
https://www.indy100.com/news/queen-funeral-viewing-figures-numbers

A site which mainly appears to advertise/re-sell paid VPN services, explaining to readers how they can still watch Doc Martin in Majorca and of course the funeral if their local stations have decided not to buy the broadcast.

I'd wait for the official analysis personally.

worth noting the 4.1bn number came along before the broadcast too, its a prediction. its pure bobbins. doesnt matter now, headlines have been written so its 4.1bn.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

What do you think actually happens now? What place in governance do you think the monarch actually plays?

He or she puts up with the Prime Minister and his/her government, whether he or she like it or not. I have just read that the Queen’s most loved of all her Prime Ministers was John Major, and the most loathed Boris Johnson.

Charles will clearly be at odds with Liz Truss about a number of things. He has been very vocal about the Rwanda thing, which she has said she will expand, he has been an eco warrior for 50 years, when she is abandoning any vestiges of climate change or ecological concern, and he through his charities actively helps the poor and disadvantaged, people for whom she doesn’t seem to care about at all.

But he will have to keep it all bottled up - at least in public.