Prince Andrew is, and has always been, an utterly unimportant person. Somehow, Panorama broadcast the name of Peter Mandelson. But do not expect anybody to chase that up.
That points to the real problem with the monarchy. It has nothing to do with Pizza Express in Woking. It is that, far from the claim that it occupied a space that politicians therefore could not, it enables the Queen's Ministers to behave in absolutely any way they please.
Boris Johnson is openly planning to remain Prime Minister if he lost his seat, on the entirely constitutional grounds that he was appointed by the Queen, only the Queen can remove him, she acts only on the advice of the Prime Minister, and he is the Prime Minister.
I have shied away from making this next point, but it is inescapable, and it is here that the circles in which Prince Andrew has certainly moved, whatever his personal conduct, do become pertinent.
Although there has been some revival on the Evangelical wing of what is otherwise the very rapidly declining Church of England, the part that is bound up with the monarchy is a fringe of a fringe.
Although there has been some revival on the Evangelical wing of what is otherwise the very rapidly declining Church of England, the part that is bound up with the monarchy is a fringe of a fringe.
To provide us with a Head of State, we are expected to depend on that tiny if decidedly upper-crust section of the Church of England which combines complete doctrinal and moral licence (at least for the right sort) with an almost morbidly conservative liturgical and cultural life.
People marrying into the Royal Family are now expected to attach themselves to that, despite having no such previous affiliation to it. One of them has had no such previous affiliation despite having gone to Malborough. There is no suggestion that our Princes and Princesses might any longer have any luck finding spouses from within this dying sect within a sect.
Another hung Parliament is coming, however, and we need our people to hold the balance of power in it. I am standing for Parliament here at North West Durham. The crowdfunding page is here, and buy the book here. Please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.
Another hung Parliament is coming, however, and we need our people to hold the balance of power in it. I am standing for Parliament here at North West Durham. The crowdfunding page is here, and buy the book here. Please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.
Like the King on the chessboard, the Monarchy prevents anyone else such as politicians, occupying that square. Thank God our Golden Jubilee celebrates the Monarchy and not the state and the Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces and Supreme Governor of our established Church is the Monarch, not the Prime Minister. Our police wear the crown on their badges and owe their loyalty not to the state but to the Crown and even our Prime Ministers must go and kneel to the Monarch before assuming office. Jolly good too. That prevents demagogues ever assuming office here.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Crown in Parliament being the highest authority in our constitution, so that Ministers may advise the Queen, if that were not the case the courts would be above elected Ministers and Parliamentary sovereignty would be over.
The unBritish Blairite invention the “Supreme Court” already recently launched an unconstitutional and unprecedented power grab with its decision to overrule the Crown, infringe on Parliamentary sovereignty over how long Parliament must sit, and make elected Ministers accountable to unelected and unaccountable judges. We don’t want any more of that, thanks.
It is utterly false to say that the Queen’s Ministers may “behave in absolutely any way they please.” Under the doctrine of Parliamentary sovereignty, the Queen’s Ministers are accountable to Parliament. They can be removed by Parliament tomorrow through a vote of no confidence in their government.
We don’t have a Presidential system so we don’t elect Prime Ministers, only Parliamentary majorities. Far from behaving any way he pleases, Boris Johnson cannot be Prime Minister unless he can command a majority in Parliament.
Like the King on the chessboard, the Monarchy prevents anyone else such as politicians, occupying that square.
DeleteRubbish. The opposite of the truth. It allows the Queen's Ministers to behave in absolutely any way they please.
Most of the rest of your comment is Royal memorabilia collector's blather, primarily put about by a columnist who spends the rest of his time complaining about the very institutions to which you refer. Clearly, having the Crown on their cap badges makes no practical difference to the Police.
Boris Johnson has already lost a confidence motion. Yet there he still is. He intends to carry on even if he loses his seat. As long as the Queen says yes, then he can. And since he is the Prime Minister the Queen cannot say no.