Why have we got a monarchy?
Because we’ve got to have someone to pin the VC on the heroes.
No, President John Precott – for it would have been he – won’t do it.
This depsite the manner in which I rather admire Prescott, despite every economic idea of his being ridiculously stupid.
The rise from steward to deputy PM can be admirable, while still thinking the man was a cunt.
I think Enoch’s rise is more admirable, from private to the youngest brigadier in the British Army in 5 years.
It’s a commnplace that only one man rose from private (acshully, trooper) to Field Marshal in the British Army – Wully Robertson. What I only recently found out – OK, it is claimed – is that he never actually commanded a combat unit.
Like Eisenhower, then. Ike had never seen action but proved a big success in his role as Field Marshal/Diplomat, don’t you think?
Aha. Google’s AI says “While serving in the Army Intelligence Service on the North-West Frontier of India, he was attacked by two guides during a reconnaissance mission. Despite being shot at, he fought back, wounding one attacker and chasing away the other. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for this action.”
So: Command – no. Fought – yes.
Did the AI specify whether they were Girl Guides? In a similar vein, Dead Ringers had some good skits of Ross Kemp’s most danherous gangs. Pretty sure it featured him bravely running away from the Brownies, Morris Men and the Famous Five.
Before abolition of the monarchy proponents need to articulate what would replace it
Why do we NEED anything to replace it?
“Nothing” is still a replacement, and the consequences of that are not likely to be trivial.
Could those who are insistent that there needs to be ‘something’ to replace the monarchy ‘because reasons’ give me some examples of said reasons…..
Something needs to keep actual executive power out of the hands of Politicians…
Not that the Brits have been any good at that to begin with, But if you’re going to shake up the System, might as well put in some safeties…
“I rather admire Prescott”: not me. He’s too nasty, ignorant, and noisy.
A Labour man who came from a genuinely modest background – Ramsay Mac, illegitimate son of a farm servant and a housemaid – was self-taught after leaving school, and a gent.
Not any more he’s not. Now he just makes a gentle mouldering noise.
I think you may be confusing him with John Brown.
Ramsay MacDonald – Wikipedia
Wiki does say he died in 1937.
But you can’t rely on Wikipedia.
John Brown’s body is certainly moudering in the grave, but he was joined there (not literally) by Fat John a little more than a twelvemonth ago.
“No, President John Precott – for it would have been he – won’t do it.”
I’d quite like that. As you say, shit at economics, but so’s the King. But yes, made good from being a steward, punched that bloke who deserved it.
My view is that you either have elected presidents, or you have powerful monarchies subject to violent competition. Monarchy used to work because if you were shit at it, someone would invade, kill you and take your lands. And the country would get a better ruler. It wasn’t strictly hereditary for this reason. But our monarchy has no corrective mechanism.
Yes, you get to be Bandit King by being the nastiest meanest bandit around— until you meet a nastier meaner bandit. But civilization require more stability, hence stationary bandits. But not static bandits, there needs to be some risk, consequences from messing thing up. Which is what we don’t have any more, no one suffers any consequences, they just fail upwards.
There’s a new solution now to the monarchy problem. Queen Amelia. Programmed with patriotism and a strong understanding of the constitution. Will live forever, needs no family. Can appoint humans to do any real-world ceremonial. Can deal with multiple addresses for redress of grievance at once. Is non-excludable and non-rivalrous.
We’ll soon have robots which can do the dubbing and ribbon-cutting.
John Prescott was atleast honest in how he regarded the electorate: punch to the jaw.
That bloke egged him. Totally deserved. Bet he hadn’t read Prescott’s bio before doing it.
You should try to find some productive work for superfluous royals. Certainly the stables must need cleaning, the palace swept or the Corgi’s walked.
They tried that with Andy…
Ultimately its a curtailment on the PMs power and prevented President Thatcher, President Blair and President Brown et al…
“President Blair”
omg there’s your sufficient reason for keeping the monarchy, right there.
Nah, if that role existed (ceremonial president) a Prescott would be sidelined before getting anywhere near. It would be more like a President Glenys Kinnock. Blob shite.
Why have we got a monarchy?
I guess he thought that he didn’t to bother learning about 1000+ years of neo liberal history.
Most of the countries that the lefties admire are monarchies: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands.
How is Korea, racked by corrupt presidents, better than Japan?
I’m republican, but it’s not just a simple issue.