tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76662194304253072392024-02-20T03:07:49.535-08:00Highland Republic AffiliationHighland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-17707160123095267852017-06-26T04:55:00.002-07:002017-06-26T04:55:34.821-07:00Please, don't bother on our account.Harry Wales has recently stated that no member of the royal family wants the crown but they are apparently prepared to take up this onerous task when it befalls them, for "the greater good". <br />
We should perhaps first ask where Mr Wales has acquired his notion of what the greater good is and why he feels that his view of what it is should prevail over the divergent opinions of others? Of course he has been brought up with the idea of monarchy being a necessary sop to the people both constantly rammed home and an accepted given but for their own good as well the greater one the royals should consider this premise may be entirely wrong. <br />
All the good that Mr Wales wants to do could be done without insulting democracy by accepting an hereditary position in government and having secret, un-minuted meetings with the Prime Minister each week, without wielding veto to legislation, without encouraging a climate of snobbery, elitism and sycophancy, without squatting in publicly owned buildings and on publicly owned collections and without absorbing millions in public money every year for the entire extended family. Everyone's human rights including his own would be vastly enhanced if the entire family hit the 'opt out' button.<br />
You do not have to stymie your life to appease the emotional inadequacy of others.<br />
When the TV celebrity Jade Goody died there were people lining the streets as her coffin passed and a woman interviewed on the rolling news declared her "Our Essex princess." Which is entirely up to them. But does this mean that Jade Goody's sons now should have a position in the council of Essex and be given houses to live in, a salary and consulted regularly on the governance of the shire? That would be ridiculous, and monarchy is revolving itself around something very like this, these are its excuses. Feeble-minded people who feel the need to grovel will always find someone to grovel after and if the groveller and grovellee are both happy, fine. You could be an unofficial royal family - nothing to do with government but they can swan about and some people like it. The pope resigned - not supposed to be able to happen either. <br />
You would be doing us all a favour if you made a break for it, and stayed out of government and the public purse. Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-87620818175244008212014-07-21T05:57:00.001-07:002014-08-02T01:06:15.441-07:00Angel's Advocate<u>The Parliament of Westminster</u><br />
<br />
The Treaty and Acts of Union in 1706 and 1707 were between two parliaments - those of Scotland and England. <br />
When Queen Anne opened the first session at Westminster after the union she stated it was the parliament's first sitting.<br />
It is contained within the Treaties and Act of Union that only those bodies who created them can dissolve them. Therefore to dissolve the union Holyrood will become the independent parliament of Scotland with full and all powers pertaining to state and Westminster will become an English parliament with whatever other arrangements staying in situ pertaining to the remaining UK.<br />
So a Yes vote invalidates the Westminster parliament as it currently is and means it must be fundamentally altered. What an opportunity.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[278].[1][2][1]{comment536188603087542_105965522}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[278].[1][2][1]{comment536188603087542_105965522}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[278].[1][2][1]{comment536188603087542_105965522}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">Moving on from that, in 1953 the Lord Advocate stated "The
principle of the unlimited sovereignty of Parliament is a distinctively
English principle which has no counterpart in Scottish constitutional
law... Considering that the Union legislation extinguished the
Parliaments of Scotland and England and replaced them by a new
Parliament, I have difficulty in seeing why it should have been supposed
that the new Parliament of Great Britain must inherit all the peculiar
characteristics of the English Parliament but none of the Scottish
Parliament, as if all that happened in 1707 was that Scottish
representatives were admitted to the Parliament of England. That is not
what was done." </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<u>Monarchy</u><br />
<br />
The containment of monarchic power, indeed the very concept of what it is, has always been very different in Scotland from simply handing royal prerogative powers to the Prime Minister and placing sovereignty in Parliament. Go back nearly 700 years to the declaration of Arbroath 1320 stating 'if he (King Robert the Bruce) should give up what he has begun, seeking to make us or our kingdom subject to the King of<span style="font-family: inherit;"> England or the English, we should exert ourselves at once to drive him out as our enemy and a</span> subverter of his own right and ours,' This is very clear. If the monarch ceases to act as approved by the rest of us, they're gone. They have no option to, as the Claim of Right 1689 accuses James the Seventh, 'invade the constitution of Scotland and alter it' from<br />
'a legal limited monarchy, to an arbitrary despotic power; and in a public proclamation, asserted an absolute power'<br />
'hath invaded the
fundamental constitution of the Kingdom, and altered it from a legal
limited monarchy to an arbitrary despotic power, and hath exercised the
same'<br />
There is no 'divine right of kings' here, the monarch is first among equals and works for them. If the monarch acts against the wishes of the rest using autocratic power they are no longer valid as leader. That being the case and in the essence of Scottish nationhood, it's clear that Elizabeth Windsor has already invalidated herself or at the very least seriously put into question her role as monarch of Scotland. In the act of using her power of veto to prevent a private member's bill which sought to make power to go to war parliamentary rather than a royal prerogative power <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jan/14/secret-papers-royals-veto-bills" target="_blank">see here</a> she used an autocratic power to retain an autocratic power, acting expressly against the sovereignty of the people, acting to prevent determination of the considered will of the people and acting against the principles of equality and representation contained in the monarch's appointed role as expressed in the Declaration of Arbroath. She asserted absolute power and exercised despotic power.<br />
Upon a Yes vote Scotland will have no monarch as leader until the considered will of the Scottish people, which is paramount and sovereign, is determined. In this age that can only mean democratically. Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-24415501281630268072014-07-15T04:37:00.000-07:002014-07-17T15:11:09.691-07:00Initial Response to the Draft Interim Constitution of Scotland<div align="LEFT" class="western" lang="" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">The
monarchy providing hereditary Heads of State for independent Scotland
is </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">a
totally </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">anachronistic
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">prospect </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">which
contradicts several aspects of even the interim constitution.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<h3 class="western" style="margin-left: 0.64cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span lang="en"><span style="font-weight: normal;">1.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="en"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Sovereignty
of the people. How can the people be truly sovereign while
retaining an actual sovereign*? *</span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">'</span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">noun
- supreme ruler, especially a monarch’ </span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
monarchy will be symbolically and spiritually oppressive, even if we
are successful in declawing and defanging it from the current death
grip on democracy it enjoys in its integral position in the
Westminster system.</span></span> </h3>
<h3 class="western">
<span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">2.</span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span><span lang="en"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Human
Rights. The rights to vote, stand for election and determine
their own destiny are denied to members of the ‘royal’ family
pertaining to the position of head of state, and the right to elect
our own representatives at state level is denied to us. </span></span></span> </h3>
<h3 class="western" style="margin-left: 1.27cm; text-indent: -0.64cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span lang="en"><span style="font-weight: normal;">3.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-variant: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="en"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Equality.
This perhaps the most contradictory of the statements contained in
the draft interim constitution. </span></span>
</h3>
<h3 class="western" style="margin-left: 1.27cm; text-indent: -0.64cm;">
<span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">At
28 the claim ‘</span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Every
person in Scotland is equal before the law and has equal entitlement
to its protection and benefit’</span><span style="font-size: small;"> <span lang="en"><span style="font-weight: normal;">is
factually incorrect. The monarch and the heir are currently
exempt from certain parts of Freedom of Information legislation. Not only that, none of the rest of us enjoy a right of veto over government legislation, before it goes through parliament, on things which affect our private interests. </span></span></span></h3>
<h3 class="western" style="margin-left: 1.27cm; text-indent: -0.64cm;">
<span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">To
state that every person ‘is entitled to be treated with respect and
without discrimination on the basis of personal characteristics’ is
in direct opposition to encouraging extreme deference and providing
status and position due to one bloodline - a situation which</span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
permeates society with a snobbery and obsequience that is not only
legitimised but promoted and actively encouraged by governmental
structure.</span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span>
</h3>
<h3 class="western" style="margin-left: 1.27cm; text-indent: -0.64cm;">
<span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">To
state that the government ‘must seek to promote equality of
opportunity’ is the </span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">direct
</span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">opposite
of no-one but members of one family having the opportunity to be
Heads of State. </span></span></h3>
<h3 class="western" style="margin-left: 1.27cm; text-indent: -0.64cm;">
<span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">To
state that the rights, powers and privileges which attach to the
Crown would continue after independence, albeit subject to the
constitution and Acts passed by the Scottish parliament, seems to be
attempting to have a foot on two horses wh</span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ich</span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
are about to take off in diametrically opposi</span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">te</span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
directions. </span></span><span lang="en" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It
would be quite impossible for the current rights, powers and
privileges which attach to the Crown to continue after independence
if we are in any way serious about sovereignty of the people, human
rights and equality. It simply does not compute. </span></span></h3>
Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-67921993653735631432014-06-05T03:17:00.000-07:002014-06-08T01:21:08.791-07:00To Change Where Power Lies - To Make Power Accountable and Removable<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow;">Economics – We’ll be fine, as
similar countries of similar size are now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re not
voting on one economic model over another.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow;"> Identity – You will still have
whatever identity you want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scotland is on Britain, as Norway,
Sweden and Finland are in Scandinavia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not something in the gift of the
government at Westminster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re not voting on identity. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow;"> Alex Salmond/SNP - You are not
voting in an Alex Salmond popularity poll or on an SNP manifesto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the facilitators of the referendum
and independence but the architects of independent Scotland will be you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there we get to what we ARE voting on. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow;"> Political Governance – Democratic
representation fit for the 21<sup>st</sup> century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something which we do not now have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow;"> House of Lords – It is one
hundred and four years since Westminster
passed an Act saying the House of Lords would be determined by popular
vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite Lords reform being in the
manifestos of all three main political parties in the 2010 election, it has
just failed to happen, again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead it
is heading for 900 of the unelected with power and influence over
legislature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We might vote out
politicians but it doesn’t mean we can get rid of them, or never vote others
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can be appointed for life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we pay for them, £300 a day expenses just
for showing up, free first class air and rail travel, subsidised fine dining, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if
you’re a peer and you serve time for a criminal offence, no matter, you walk
right back in to the Lords, while elected politicians from the Commons could not
re enter Parliament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An unelected,
unaccountable, privileged elite in governance paid for astronomically by the
people, who have no way of removing any of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The direct polar opposite of democracy. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow;">In the Lords there is a symbol of
where power comes from at Westminster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a huge golden throne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Crown in parliament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the great power which can be used to
make great changes and is so intoxicating and corrupting as it swills around
the corridors of Westminster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The royal
prerogative, powers of a medieval monarch, are handed to whomsoever manoeuvres
into Number 10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The powers are not
relative to the mandate the Prime Minister’s party did, or as currently didn’t,
gain at the ballot box, because they’re not democratic powers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re a hangover of autocracy, including power
to go to war, write law and appoint ministers without reference to the rest of
the cabinet, your party, parliament and certainly not the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blurring of monarchy and democracy hands
out this power and completely fails to hold prime ministers in check. Small wonder this seems to have a detrimental effect on the psyche of many of them. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow;">There is power of veto for the monarch and heir over legislation which affects their private interests, prior to it going through parliament, and the royal exemption from law regarding Freedom of Information legislation means we do not know how many times this has been used nor when.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial Narrow;">One instance we do know about of the monarch's power of veto being used to block a private member's bill going through Westminster was when an attempt was made to make the power to go to war one which had to gain parliamentary approval instead of being a royal prerogative power. Elizabeth Windsor blocked the bill at the behest of Tony Blair. An autocratic power used to retain an autocratic power.</span></div>
Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-49587042035312233152014-04-09T11:11:00.001-07:002014-06-05T03:07:28.965-07:00Extremes of inequality, perpetuated and encouraged by a fossilised political system<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I
have seen the extreme effects of extreme poverty and I didn’t have
to be a ‘poverty tourist’ to do so. One instance was in
Dingwall, the town where I grew up, during the late sixties/early
seventies. A woman, who to me was old but I was a child, had legs
which bowed right out the way and she bowled along when she walked.
It was shocking, I was shocked. My mother told me she was from
Glasgow where there was a lot of poverty and poor conditions and
she’d had rickets as a child, which was caused by a vitamin
deficiency which affects the bones when they’re growing and
vulnerable so they were damaged for life. She told me that was why
we children got free milk at school as it contained the needed
vitamins to ensure that never happened again. Terribly, it has been <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/dec/16/rickets-down-to-poverty-not-sun%20" target="_blank">for a while</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
sixties and seventies were also the time when Britain had hit its
time of most equality as the ongoing results of the radical 1945
government, as well as plenty of talent, inspiration and creativity.
The upper echelons were complaining to the rest of planet Earth that
in Britain the poor were getting richer and the rich were getting
poorer and they were threatening to leave. The appropriate response
at this juncture would have been “Goodbye”, but someone called
Margaret Thatcher got up and made a speech addressing these people,
saying “Please stay”. They gave her her reward. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
advances of democratic and social progression were brutally halted
and reversed. The establishment entrenched their position. Avarice
became the philosophy over altruism, selfishness and greed
encouraged. Progressives were co-opted and absorbed, some still
there to be seen. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So
here we are now. At least in the 60s/70s there was a consciousness,
an empathy and sympathy whereas now when people are born into
appalling situations, the right wing media which has the tabloids in
its grasp has even intelligent people believing there will be
something “genetic” wrong with that child. Some things are
genetic – like haemophilia, porphyrias, low IQ, but neither the
unfortunate results of extreme poverty nor extreme wealth are,
despite Andrew Windsor claiming “it is training and genetics”
which mean he can do his “job”. We might ask why he does it so
abysmally badly then. Now there is a culture of blame rather than
sympathy. This leads to some truly disgusting attitudes, to people
attacking those who live in the same place as them, whose lives they
would not swap with in a million years, with comments that they
“should be sent to Belsen”, “should be locked up and made to
fight each other to the death” – these are online comments made
on the Highland News website about named families in Inverness, on a
news item which didn’t even involve anyone from most of them. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Some
businesses which presumably have always accepted they must deal with
market forces but which apparently don’t feel up to dealing with
democratic forces, ‘lords’ and ‘baronesses’ now ingrained in
privilege and others who like what they have and feel complacent or
cynical are threatening to leave Scotland as it sees a chance to
escape the entrenched establishment death grip of the Westminster
political system. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Others
in the rest of Britain are increasingly seeing the potential of
Scottish independence to crack this now seemingly impenetrable
edifice, to undermine and destabilise undemocratic power, thereby
facilitating desperately needed change there too. The claims and
utterances of those desperate to retain their positions are becoming
more extreme and nonsensical along with their desperation. They can
feel the way the wind is blowing. The mediaeval power swilling
around at Westminster is intoxicating and has been corrupting heads and
hearts for centuries. The unelected can still stalk its corridors
and wield it decades after the public have voted them out or they’ve
ceased to bother standing for election. Meanwhile on 5<sup>th</sup>
April in a speech to London Conservatives, David Cameron has <span lang="en">ranked
defeating Labour in 2015 above maintaining the Union</span> –
preparing the ground for defeat in Scotland. </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Scotland
becoming politically autonomous will not cataclysmically endanger the
world with forces of darkness. Could anyone retaining their reason
believe this? We now await how the No campaign will couch their
warning that the sky will fall in, as surely that must be next. What
is there truly to fear? Trident is “too dangerous” to be
situated in England, but there it is on the Clyde. But independence?
That is about truly democratic governance by the people for the
first time, at last. Have confidence and trust that the heart of the
people is optimistic, reasonable, fair, talented, creative and kind.
Blind faith in the non existent benevolence of overlords who are
anything but is regression to a time our forebears were always
leaving behind. We’ve been held back for a long time - it’s time
to forge ahead. </span>
</div>
Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-16569350728229455862013-04-10T01:38:00.000-07:002013-08-17T08:02:29.249-07:00Queen awards Thatcher a state funeral<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
There are now several petitions calling for 'no state funeral'
or 'no public money to be spent' on the funeral of Margaret Thatcher,
current estimates of the cost of which have hit £10million on the
front pages, with <i>another</i> estimated £10million security cost
on top. How has this figure mushroomed so much? Well one major
reason is that our 'neutral', 'above politics' head of state has
broken protocol and chosen of her own volition to attend the event,
despite senior and very well respected politicians rightly calling
the arrangements for this funeral an insult to the people whose lives
and communities Margaret Thatcher destroyed.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Many other elected representatives of the people are choosing not to attend the
recall of Parliament today for the Cameron orchestrated deification
of a woman regarded with unsurpassed loathing by many in Britain.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
With commentators
calling much of the media eulogising “inflammatory” Elizabeth
Windsor's personal decision to attend a funeral which the
Metropolitan police are concerned may spark serious civil unrest is
not only foolhardy and reckless but an overtly politically partisan
act flying in the face of the deeply held feelings and pain inflicted
on the nation by Margaret Thatcher.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It is dubbed a
'ceremonial' funeral but the voluntary attendance of Elizabeth
Windsor indeed underlines and anoints it a state funeral in all but
name.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So know this, and be in
no doubt, the person who insults you, who flies in the face of every
person who signed every petition and voted in every poll against
this, and who is causing yet more cost to the public purse, to which
money she feels so astonishingly entitled anyway, is your overtly
political, unelected hereditary monarch, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary
Windsor, your tyrant oppressor head of state.
</div>
Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-19487843917221184392013-04-06T08:39:00.000-07:002013-04-22T04:23:43.555-07:00The Wrong Feet - The Failure of Elizabeth<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
One of the things
you'll hear about the current unelected head of state is the claim
that she “has never put a foot wrong” in 60 years. Unfortunately
this claim happens to be complete and utter drivel. Here we are
going to itemise just some of Elizabeth Windsor's recent wrongly
taken steps: -</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1. Buckingham Palace
attempted to apply to the State Poverty Fund (money set aside for
schools, hospitals and low income families) to pay its fuel bills. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This demonstrates a quite astonishing sense of entitlement to any,
and all, public money. The story, which was confirmed at the time
by a 'rather embarrassed' palace official (anonymous as usual), was
discovered through Freedom of Information legislation from which the
palace has now been made exempt – so that if this happened again
we would not be able to discover it, nor what the answer was. <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/queen-tried-to-use-state-poverty-fund-to-heat-buckingham-palace-2088179.html" target="_blank">shocking</a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
2. The Despot's Lunch. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
She invited and warmly welcomed other monarchs from around the world,
including <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Crown Prince
Vajiralongkorn of Thailand. </span></b>That monarchy has been
mired in an ongoing controversy over the country’s strict
lèse-majesté laws, which carry long jail sentences for slights
against royal members. They have been used in increasing number,
often to stifle political dissent. Earlier that month a 61-year-old
man died in prison just months after he was handed down a 20-year
jail term for sending text messages about Thailand’s queen. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Elizabeth Windsor also
invited to this lunch <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hamad
bin Isa al-Khalifa </span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">of
</span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bahrain. </span></b><b>
</b>The head of Bahrain’s Khalifa dynasty has been criticised
for his country’s violent crackdown of predominantly Shia Muslim
opposition protests. Human-rights groups have heavily criticised the
pace of change and continued violence. Only that week a second
autopsy by an independent pathologist on a young man, who an official
report declared had drowned in the sea, was published stating that he
had undergone torture including electrocution and was unconscious
when he drowned.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
And she invited King
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mswati III </span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">of
</span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Swaziland.
</span></b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">S</span></b>ub-Saharan
Africa’s last absolute monarch is estimated to be worth £100m by
Forbes while many of his 1.2 million subjects, however, live in
poverty. We're sure she can relate. <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/unpopular-kings-give-sour-taste-to-queens-jubilee-lunch-at-windsor-7766117.html" target="_blank">disgusting</a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
3. Andrew, the dodgy
deals and the contempt for public and government opinion.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As a wedding present
for Andrew and Sarah, Elizabeth had a mansion built on green belt
land purchased through a secret company in which she was involved.
The couple eventually left the mansion after their split and it was
sold, for £3million over the market price of £12million (why?) to
the son-in-law of the Kazakhstan president, who as well as being well
known to Andrew through his connections as Trade Ambassador also has
a child with Andrew's great friend Goga Ashkenazi. The mansion was
then allowed to fall into dereliction (why?). <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pe17SzFv5Y" target="_blank">documentary</a> <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1309310/Prince-Andrews-15m-mansion-bought-tainted-cash-Kazakh-scam.html" target="_blank">newspaper</a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As Trade Ambassador,
Andrew's “boorish behaviour” and ill-advised cultivation of
friendship with dictators and even a convicted sex abuser eventually
led to a growing clamour for him to step down or be sacked from that
post. This included from members of parliament, government and many
in the public and press. Elizabeth responded to this by deciding at
that moment to award Andrew with the highest honour in her personal
gift. <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371367/Prince-Andrew-given-Knight-Grand-Cross-Queen-Jeffrey-Epstein-paedophile-link.html" target="_blank">mummy's hero</a><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371367/Prince-Andrew-given-Knight-Grand-Cross-Queen-Jeffrey-Epstein-paedophile-link.html"></a>
Not surprisingly this prompted comments such as 'Get it through your
heads, they don't care about you or your opinions. No hereditary
dictatorship ever has.' 'you should be appalled that he was given
the Order of the Garter several years back. That is supposedly the
highest of all British honours but the Queen has cheapened it by
decorating her youngest children with it as well as Prince William.
At this point, most of the orders of chivalry are just membership
badges to clubs that adorn the royal children just to make them
appear important' 'proves once again that the Queen has nothing but
contempt for the citizens of this country and has a single minded
attitude in keeping, maintaining and promoting 'the Firm''</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">4. Making
political comment.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Some
monarchists will try to emphasise how “above politics” the
monarchy is. The monarchy itself is at the poisoned heart of the
Westminster political system which hands the Prime Minister monarchic
powers through the royal prerogative and the Crown in parliament, but
through this ancient dodgy deal the monarch is supposed, at least in
public, to keep their heads down (for fairly obvious reasons) and
their mouths shut. We can all see how this course of action has
completely and utterly escaped Charles as any kind of <i>modus operandi</i>
but monarchists claim that Elizabeth has adhered to it religiously.
We have now seen that is no longer the case. Her weekly meetings
with Prime Ministers and correspondence with government are secret so
we have no idea what comments and lobbying on issues she indulges in
at those, but recently the palace has taken the extraordinary step of
making comment on issues where they obviously feel secure of popular
support for their position - </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brian-reade-queens-comments-on-abu-1345679" target="_blank">Abu Hamza</a>
and the financial crash <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100313755" target="_blank">comments</a><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100313755"></a>
prompting a statement from the FSA. Absolutely cynical choices.
Paving the way for an 'activist king' as Charles has stated he wants
to be? Without electoral mandate, that's a tyrant. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">If
you want to stick your beaks into political matters get yourselves
elected to something and if you haven't got the guts to do that, wind
your necks in and accept citizenship which is the best gift you'll
ever be offered. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">5. Breaking protocol to attend Margaret Thatcher's funeral, thereby anointing it as a state funeral in all but name and ramping up its security costs.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Margaret Thatcher planned her own funeral in collusion with previous Prime Ministers. Inviting the monarch clearly was designed to ramp up its status as much as possible. The monarch had previously only attended the funeral of one erstwhile Prime Minister - that of Winston Churchill, which was an actual state funeral and he had been the Prime Minister throughout a world war. Margaret Thatcher, however, like her policies, philosophy and the destruction and damage they all caused was/is still viscerally loathed by large sections of the populace as someone who divided Britain both along geographic and class lines. The equality which was beginning to formulate in the 60s and 70s when Britain was at its most equal ever and the Tories were running about planet Earth whining and complaining that the rich were getting poorer and the poor richer so they were threatening to leave with their money ("goodbye" is the right response at this point), was rent asunder as she sold off national asset and resource, attacked working people and industry and nurtured a culture of greed, selfishness and dog eat dog survival of the fittest mentality. The current Prime Minister is attempting to reinforce all this once more. Too late will those daily poisoned by right wing tabloid toxic waste poured into feeble, malleable minds, realise that you can't join the dogs who eat the dogs, unless you are a multi-millionaire or went to Eton, you're just another one of the eaten. So now Scotland is leaving. The tectonic SNP landslide which Holyrood's voting system was designed to make impossible happened only six days after the culmination of months and months of 24/7 hyperbole and inane propaganda which we were told was "The wedding to bring the whole nation together!". Hmm, doesn't look like that worked. Could anyone, anywhere possibly think this was 'the funeral to bring the whole nation together'? How stupid are these people? Pretty stupid it seems. Cameron threw even the agreed plans out the window when he recalled Parliament to host an obscene 12 hour deification of the Prime Minister from Hell. Recalling Parliament is supposed to be for national emergency only. He may have been suffering some kind of emergency but nobody else was. The palace (a building speaks again) sent out notifications that it had had concerns about attending but Elizabeth was going because Thatcher was the first female Prime Minister - rubbish! She represents the most divisive, destructive, extreme political ideology and Cameron's ramping up of the funeral was all about the same thing. Elizabeth attending was in absolute collusion and could not have been a more partisan act. Mega, super, ultra, total FAIL, Elizabeth! And do not imagine that getting the increasingly obviously state controlled BBC to ram Kate and William's baby down our throats from now til doomsday is going to distract us from getting rid of the prehistoric, oppressive Westminster system which is totally unfit for purpose as a 21st century democracy, which feudal circus the stupid monarchy is integral to. You have been sussed. If you're not flattered and delighted to be offered citizenship, take up your millions, AND GO!!! </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">6. Elizabeth's main, obvious and historically condemning absolute failure is and always has been the failure to enter into sensible negotiation to extricate monarchy from government of the people. Uber, total, utter #FAIL, Liz. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">You have not risen above your very unfortunate circumstances at birth.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"> </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">
</span></span></span>
</div>
Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-75792980345670325702012-12-12T05:36:00.001-08:002012-12-12T05:48:26.285-08:00born free?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Reply sent on behalf of Elizabeth Windsor re our letter in the previous post: -<br />
<br />
'Buckingham Palace<br />
<br />
7th December, 2012<br />
<br />
Dear Miss Smith,<br />
The Queen has asked me to thank you and all the signatories for your letter of 26th September, and I must first of all apologise for the delay in replying. Due to the very high volume of mail received in recent weeks, it has not been possible to reply until now.<br />
Her Majesty has taken careful note of your comments regarding the Monarchy and the Untied (sic) Kingdom, and I am to thank you for taking the time and trouble to let The Queen know of your views.<br />
Yours sincerely,<br />
(signed) <br />
Mrs Sonia Bonici<br />
Senior Correspondence Officer<br />
<br />
Miss Marjory Smith and Signatories' <br />
<br />
Of course, we have no queen and Elizabeth is not a majesty to us.<br />
<br />
We can only wonder what can have been going through the heads of the human beings at the centre of the maelstrom of the last week or so. The febrile boiling hotpot of media hyperbole and over-reaction to a tiny foetus is a manifestation of insanity itself. We are told the titles this being will inherit on birth, we are told the position and role it will take in our future government. Really? Madness. The solemn sonorous tones of the media sycophant, who has assimilated the royal accent that the two in the line of succession tried to lose, told us of what we are led to believe is the appalling consequence of some of this media attention, all well before the child is anywhere near being born and in the space of a few days of the announcement of its existence. Common Sense and Reason, wrote Thomas Paine. Rights.<br />
For the love of all of these and much more besides we say again, end the monarchy now.<br />
We wish everyone the rights to vote for their own government, stand for election, say what they think in public and determine their own destiny. It's never too late. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-77053254873025023702012-09-16T06:36:00.001-07:002012-09-30T04:33:29.496-07:00<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Open letter to
Elizabeth Windsor.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Elizabeth,</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Considering your
octogenarian status and the relatively short time you may have left
to yourself we feel it would be remiss if we did not at this juncture
make some last attempt to alert to you to the fact that you have been
and are being misinformed, ill-advised and psychologically,
emotionally and intellectually poisoned by your contact with the
institution of monarchy, as are all your family and the peoples of
Britain.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In a country claiming
to be a 21<sup>st</sup> century democracy this institution is a
hypocritical anomaly, a fossil which props up an outdated feudal
political system and simultaneously rots it from within. Monarchy is
fundamentally and irrevocably wrong. The inheritance of position in
government, of status, privilege, influence, access to public money
and the opaque accounting of same, the immunity from laws, the
personal powers of veto for the monarch and the heir on government
legislation which affects their private interests, the forced oaths
of loyalty, regardless of political views, as a prerequisite of
democratically elected representatives taking up their positions to
work for the people, the cult of caste encouraging sycophancy and
obsequiousness purely over societal position and birth - all these
things are totally indefensible.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
History will look back
upon monarchy as an evil thing, make mistake no longer. It will be
seen as the murderer, the enabler of massacre, the stifler of talent,
the oppressor of spirit, the deadening dull boring mundanity of
meaningless pointless waste of time and energy that it is, the empty
nothing that it is, the dead thing.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
You are supposed to
have a human right to vote for who governs you, as are we. You
should have the right to determine your own destiny and the right to
speak your thoughts in public - these are pretty basic freedoms.
There are people far older than you who have had to cope with far
worse things than an end to the restrictions, pantomime and circus of
monarchy. We give you advice entirely congruent with your utmost
wellbeing when we urge you to initiate talks now for the extrication
of your family from this ridiculous position as soon as possible and
forever. It would be the best exit ever from the monarchic stage,
bar none. And the last. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sincerely</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This is a letter not a petition and the 163 names below have signed up as a representative snapshot of the estimated 18 million plus people in Britain who currently do not want a monarchy and who are not now being properly served nor represented by the media, politicians nor structures of society. The letter has also been sent in in hard copy on 1st October 2012. If you would like your name added to the website version only thereafter just email <span style="color: #38761d;">sign@stirringthecauldron.co.uk</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Marjory Smith</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Eben Myrddin Muse</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Bob Wiggin</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Paul Bates</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Renee Davis</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Richard Vernon</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mel Hepworth</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Angela Miller</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mark McGinlay</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dominic Bell</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sarah Balfour</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Paul Johnson</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
John Jones</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Leyton Dodds</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Bill Hart</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
John Kelly</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tristan Alexander</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stiv Gillan</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Jamie Docherty</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Scott McMahon</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mick Higgins</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
John Sweeney</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Brian Hale</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Steve Wilson</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Davy King</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stuart Malcolm</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Anne Kathleen Nielsen</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Maureen Wallace</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Simon Nelson</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lynn Higgins</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Frederick Nye</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Caz Smith</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ben Fowler</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gavin James Campbell
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Rafa Luna
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ian Mcvey
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Rebecca McKinlay
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
John Robinson
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Kevin Bell</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Michael John Taylor
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Kevin Paul Allerton
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ollie Coxhead</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lawrence Molton
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
David Harvey
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Joe Coten
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Jennifer R. Jeynes</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Doug Beard
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Elaine Morris
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tricia Bates
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Kenny Mitchell
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Andy Stewart
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Murdo Maclean
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Martin Shapely</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Jason Sandy James
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mark Hollinrake
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gary 'gigs' Weir
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Paul Kinnear
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Janetta Willis</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sharlee Stringer
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
June Maxwell
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mark Stephen Jones
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Karl Bough
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Peter Clarke
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mike Cunningham
</div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Niall MacLennan
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Harri Ap Owain Glyn
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Elsa Kerr
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stephen-Cewydd Holcroft
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Marjorie Godfrey
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Alice Johnson
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Aidan Campbell
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
John Fiddes
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gail Fielding
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Alan Rorrison
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Doug Troup
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Edel Carroll
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mike Allen
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Colin Birch
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Johnny Darkly
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Campbell Stewart
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Raibert McPhadraig
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gary Briggs</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Paul Kealy
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
George Macbeath
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lance Dyer
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Shaun Iggleden
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Graham Barnes
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Billy Ross
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
David William Humphrys
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Norman Sinclair
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dave Fletcher
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
David Malcolm
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Michael Jones
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Andy Barnes
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Nick Collins
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Joe Shooman
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Loretta Caughlin
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
John Tollan
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mitch Hayworth
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tony Nicholls
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Conchur Ó Muadaigh
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Rob Cameron
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Michael Swann
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dobromir Angelova
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Paul Chapman
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
David Milsom
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Nigel Singh
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Phil Thompson
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Fred MacMillan
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
James Whittaker
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Paul Robinson
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dale Latimer
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Linda Tilsen
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Gary Bamber
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Walt Ferguson
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dec Smith
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Kenny Kerr
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sean Kane
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mo Ungi
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Eòsaph
MacGillebhràth</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Dave
Emsley </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Lee Hyde </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mandie Lee
</span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Tim
Chiswell </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Dave Cann </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Tom Dunn </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Michael
Hughes </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Julie
Flynn-Ciniglio </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Seán
O'hAmhsaigh </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Kyle Gray </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Paul
Daverson</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Billy
Fotheringham </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Benny
McGuire</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ben Baxter</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Paul Owens</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Jillian
Nicol </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Roddy
Williams</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ian
Coulson</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Brian
Carpenter</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Gavin
Paterson </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Gerard
Cassidy</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">John
Morland </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Paul
Gribbin </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Grahame
Morrison </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mel-Annie
Brudenell</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Philip
Ridge </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Teddy Brul
</span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Lars
Nunnegaard</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Monique Buckner </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Martin
Knox</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Donald
Roderick MacKinnon</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mary
Amanda O'Connell</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Lee Tea</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Dan Read</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Frazer
Mckenzie</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ju Ju
Norton </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ryan Cockman</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Joseph Nelson Salazar
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Todd Collins</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Billy Muir</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Robert Britton<br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Eleanor McCarthy</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stewart Culbard</div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-64868379005629903462012-09-01T04:33:00.000-07:002012-09-01T04:33:41.720-07:00Guest Blog
Currently,
in order to take part in parliamentary proceedings, all
democratically elected representatives of the people at Holyrood and
Westminster must swear an oath to be faithful and bear true
allegiance to Elizabeth Windsor and her heirs and successors. Alex
Samond predicates this with the statement that his party's primary
loyalty is to the people of Scotland, and others have stated that
they take the oath under duress, but it is sickening that this
compulsory oath to monarchy is in place. Monarchy is the opposite of
democracy and should have nothing to do with representation of the
people. This forced oath is an oppression and an insult. Several
MSPs and MPs are members of Republic, the campaign for a democratic
alternative to the monarchy, yet to do their job for the people who
elect them they have to swear an oath they don't mean a word of. The
first thing parliament does is make them lie.
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The evil
excuse for the massacre of Glenoce was a six day delay in the
swearing of an oath to monarchy, which monarch subsequently signed
the massacre order for two companies of the Argyll regiment to
genocide the Macdonald clan. If you look in the phonebook you can
conclude they didn't quite follow orders, though it was terrible
enough.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I share
James Keir Hardie's opinions on the subject of monarchy and the
puerile nature of it. It reinforces and is at the apogee of a
decrepit feudal political and class system. It is populated by
nameless officials who speak as if they are buildings 'the palace
says', 'Clarence House denies'. It is secretive and has recently
been made more exempt from Freedom of Information laws so that if it
again asked for money from the State Poverty Fund which is set aside
for schools, hospitals and low income families, as it did when Labour
were in power, we would not now be able to discover this, nor what
the answer would now be to this incredible example of the monarchy's
sense of entitlement to any and all public money. I suppose that's
what absorbing £200 million plus every year of public money does to
you. Westminster has overseen a deal which allows the piracy of
national asset revenue direct to the institution of monarchy and
refused Holyrood control of Scotland's part. If monarchy was free it
would still be a poison. Its message is that everyone except this
one family are common lownesses. Nothing infuriates me more than
switching on the news and having the spectacle of a member of this
one family as the remnants of Hanoverian monarchy trailed out in some
imbecilic non news story. The BBC particularly went completely
insane over the jubilee and prior to that the society wedding of
William Wales and Kate Middleton - they had five times more staff
working on it than other channels and have refused to disclose how
much, of our, money they spent on coverage. There were still items
such as on the cake being shown on breakfast TV nine months after it
happened. And him in that redcoat uniform...</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Can
anyone remember what happened just a few days after “The wedding to
bring the whole nation together”? ? I'll tell you. Scotland
voted in a landslide for a party whose stated aim is to pull this
whole bloody awful set up apart. Not long after that was the moment
when a little spark of hope lit in my heart and I had a sea change on
independence. The real possibility suddenly hoving into view of
Scotland escaping the fossilised behemoth of Westminster and it's
only a hop, step and a 'carravooltchin' to a much fairer, healthier
society and so many things which seemed difficult are suddenly within
our grasp. A yes we can moment where people dare to dream things
they never thought they'd see, where anything is possible.</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Soon
after the swearing in at Holyrood Alex Salmond was on my TV assuring
us that Elizabeth Windsor would remain head of state in an
independent Scotland. Mary McCabe who wrote, proposed and got
accepted at the '97 SNP Conference the motion that there should be a
referendum on the monarchy within the first term of an independent
Scottish Parliament now states that retaining the monarchy meantime
is about putting as few hurdles as possible in the way of the future
negotiations about independence and says 'there are people in the
British establishment prepared to go to the wire over the issue of
the monarchy'. I say exactly who are these people in the British
establishment? What do you mean by 'go to the wire'? The people
should be told the truth. If you're frightened of them, tell us. I
did wonder if I saw fear in Alex Salmond's eyes.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Keir
Hardie said people's heads were turned by Westminster “the best
men's club in Europe” and often “forgot why they were there and
who put them there”. That is as true now as it was when he made
the observation. It really hasn't changed much at all. Over a
hundred years after an Act was passed decreeing the House of Lords
would be determined by popular mandate, this has yet again failed to
materialise. The precedents, habits and traditions of the way
Westminster conducts itself are maintained as if it were a political
museum. I really wish it was. The power at Westminster comes from
the Crown in Parliament and the royal prerogative powers placed with
the Prime Minister and Privy Council. These are not democratic
powers, they're autocratic and monarchic and they are not relative to
the electoral mandate gained or as in the current situation, not
gained, at the ballot box. The power available to whomsoever
manoeuvres into Number 10 is unaccountable and corrupting. Currently
we have King Dave and he alone can decide to do a U-turn, or not, to
have a yacht, or not, to alone bring in a policy when no-one else in
the cabinet agrees with it, as he did recently with minimum alcohol
pricing for England and Wales. The royal prerogative powers are
wielded to suit, for instance were extended to expel the Chagos
islanders in 1962. This was deemed unlawful by the High Court in
2000 so the Labour government used royal prerogative power to issue
an Order in Council to achieve the same effect and won their appeal
in the Lords after this was also found unlawful. The royal
prerogative powers enable writing of law, going to war etc without
reference to parliament. It is supposed to be constrained by
constitutional convention but as we have no written constitution the
conventions have been described as “whatever the government wants
them to be”. It's a right royal stitch up of the people, who are
not being properly represented and are not in any kind of proper
control of government. 'The power to make great changes' may be
deeply desired by people with altruistic motives, but also by those
with completely avaricious ones. It's far too arbitrary. The people
still have all the power of a hereditary establishment against them –
Cameron, Osborne and Johnson are all from families who were in the
same kind of position hundreds of years ago. That is neither natural
nor healthy.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In the
game of Westminster power-grab it is 80 or so seats in what is termed
'Middle England' which hold the keys to the castle, these are the
voters yenned for and courted with policies, image and rhetoric. The
bare-faced cheek and mummery of Ed Miliband one day in Glasgow
referencing Hardie to promote Scottish Labour and then a day or so
later issuing a fawning congratulations to monarchy for being in an
unelected position propping up this rotten system for 60 inglorious
years.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
During
the passage of the Scotland Bill at Westminster, Labour MP Dennis
Canavan tried to get the requirement for an oath at the Scottish
Parliament replaced with an affirmation “I do hereby acknowledge
the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of
Government best suited to their needs, and, do hereby declare and
pledge that in all our actions and deliberations their interests
shall be paramount.” Westminster did not pass it. Rejected as a
Holyrood candidate by New Labour despite 97% support from his local
party, he stood as an Independent Labour candidate and was expelled
from the party. He got the biggest majorities in the Scottish
Parliament both times he stood. He now supports the Yes campaign.
He is the kind of Scottish Labour party we want and need, now.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The SNP I
know contains some honourable and good people but some of us could
never join a party identifying as 'nationalist' as we feel, and
Scotland is really, internationalist. I also do not trust the
leadership of the SNP who seem happy to fudge issues and allow
misconceptions to go unchallenged, primarily that they can decree now
what will be so in an independent Scotland. The SNP will most likely
crumble in independent Scotland, there will certainly be splitting
off and if they called themselves the Scottish Independence Party and
declared the truth, that they are not likely to be in the same
popular position ever again as they are in this period of advancing
towards independence, but they are happy and willing to fall on their
swords for the greater goal, they would be unanswerable. This may be
difficult for those who have stalked the corridors of Westminster's
unaccountable power and centuries of very old money, but if they want
a place of real note in history they should bite the bullet, and
certainly forget about trying to inveigle any royal prerogative
powers into independent Scotland.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The
current rump Scottish Labour Party leadership bemoan that the SNP
leadership have Scotland on pause while they play games, but the
situation with the Westminster political system, which is hung
together on a dodgy deal done with monarchy centuries ago, is that it
effectively has democracy on pause and has done for quite some time,
for people all over these islands. We can do better than that and
our move may be the catalyst for change in other countries too.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If we let
the people speak they will, but we have to give them the choice to
choose. Currently on the monarchy the SNP and Labour offer no
difference – the Jubilee debate saw republican after republican in
the SNP getting up in the chamber at Holyrood to make fawning
comments on monarchy. The party of Keir Hardie were the same. Why
do they do that? What are they afraid of or who are they trying to
play games with – is it the institution of monarchy, or the people
of Scotland?
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
We should
lay our cards on the table. Set a clear agenda which sets out the
removal of this anachronism. Offer the Windsors citizenship in an
independent Scotland and the human rights to vote, stand for election
and determine their own destiny. If they don't like that, Hell mend
them and cheerio to them.
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If we
make a party which offers the people what they actually really do
want, they will go for it. Stop trying to hoodwink and second-guess
the public. Tell them the truth and let them choose, that's what
this is all about after all.
</div>
Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-75321615275120312482012-05-22T04:43:00.000-07:002012-05-22T04:44:13.367-07:00dissent and debateThe YES to Independence campaign is about to launch in Scotland
this Friday, followed shortly thereafter by the 'Jubilee' holiday -
the establishment trying to reinforce the institution of monarchy
aided by a sycophantic media hyperbole. So vile it is like
trying to spoonfeed us, and especially children, something sickening
and poisonous while rotting corpses litter the house. It's out
of control. Astonishingly, this weekend there has been an
attempt by parts of the YES campaign to silence any discussion
whatsoever on the subject of the monarchy, saying this will damage
the campaign. The reality is that trying to silence people is
what is damaging and absolutely unacceptable. As if the
intolerance and imposition of monarchy upon us was not bad enough
already. It is completely and utterly wrong to try to stifle
debate on this or any other issue.
<br />
<br />
Scratch the surface and one of them declares as a monarchist.
So no-one is supposed to say anything for fear of upsetting the
monarchists? Why would that be? The answer is because
they have no arguments to debate with, which they even admit
themselves, 'not one decent, logical, morally-sound argument for the
retention of the Royal family in the 21st century' wrote a
monarchist on Sunday <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/20/republicans-in-the-uk.html" target="_blank">here</a>
before claiming 'we love' Liz Windsor, as if it was about her as a
person and not about a secretive, monolithic institution absorbing
millions in public money every year, with an outrageous sense of
entitlement to any and all public money <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/queen-tried-to-use-state-poverty-fund-to-heat-buckingham-palace-2088179.html" target="_blank">astonishing</a>
populated by anonymous officials who speak as buildings - 'the palace
says' 'Clarence House denies', an institution reinforcing and
perpetuating an antiquated feudal political system with monarchic
powers swilling around to be accessed by whomsoever manoeuvres their
way into Number 10, completely disproportionate to the democratic
mandate their party did, or did not, gain and irrelevant to any deals
struck with other parties. Too much of the wrong kind of
corrupting power, available at Westminster.<br />
<br />
How can we 'love' this remote woman who most of us have never met,
nor ever will meet, and whose image is so very carefully controlled,
as is she? We do not know her. Your town will contain a
sweet old lady who may appreciate a bunch of flowers if that's your
motivation - give one of them some of your 'love'. Monarchists
who profess 'love' for Liz Windsor should perhaps consider being at
the centre of this stultifying institution as 'their' queen is an
abuse of her <a href="http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20120513/Diamond-Jubilee-reignites-monarchy-debate-in-Canada-1205118/" target="_blank">a
sad life</a> She has no human right to vote, stand for election
or determine her own destiny, she has not the right to speak anything
but the elected government's words. She is silenced in public
as the institution also tries to silence dissent from the people. She
and her son do have the right to veto government legislation of
course and she has access to the Prime Minister's ear every week
where no-one knows what she says then when she is not silenced.
Still it would appear that this 'royal' family would be happier and
we'd all be healthier if they were a corgi-whisperer or a woffly
weatherman. Certainly there are monarchy fanatics <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9722000/9722349.stm" target="_blank">like
this</a> who fill their homes, or business as in this case, with
memorabilia and try to impose their fanaticism on others, but there
are fanatics of many things and people, so what? Should one of
the Beatles or Bay City Rollers have been head of state?
<br />
<br />
We're told 'the problem' for republicans is everything we say
'makes perfect sense 'and yet here we are'. Ah, as if by magic.
The monarchy springs up like a snowdrop through the frozen
ground. Absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the £36,000+
,of public money of course, that offices at Clarence House and
Buckingham Palace have access to every single day to use in the PR
promotion of the institution of monarchy then? Not the
relentless sycophantic media. Nothing whatsoever to do with the
insidious permeation of institutions and organisations with 'royal'
this, 'royal' that, patron of this, patron of that, the Crown in
Parliament, the Sovereign at the core and apogee of a class structure
never dismantled, the same families in power century after century.
The descendant of the schemer behind the Glencoe massacre and the
union, John Dalrymple Master of Stair, in the House of Lords now.
In 1911 the House of Lords and parliament passed an Act stating it
would become determined by popular vote rather than heredity, and
then, what happened? Did they all prick their fingers on a
needle and fall asleep for a hundred years? They may as well
have. The excruciating spectacle last year of the Speaker of
the House of Commons whispering in the chamber about how "very
rare, very <i>sparing</i> and very respectful" any mention of
the royal family should be, when MPs were trying to discuss the
unfortunate behaviour and associations of Andrew Windsor.
Perhaps a fairy dies every time the royal family is mentioned in
Westminster. But apparently none of this is what is reinforcing
the monarchy, which is actually a Christmas miracle in the face of
its own indefensibility. Aye right. <br />
<br />
<br />
Monarchists are trying to tell us that a majority of people are so
enamoured of Elizabeth Windsor and so thrilled in anticipation at the
prospect of Charles as their next head of state that they won't vote
YES to independence if they think NO is the best way of keeping the
monarchy? The concept is ridiculous. What about the many
who will vote YES as the best and quickest way to get rid of it?
That's the reality. And how do you argue for escape from the
Westminster system without talking about what the Westminster system
entails? It makes no sense. Tell the truth and shame the
devil. This should be about opening things up not shutting them down, about moving forward not standing still and terrified.
<br />
<br />
People should not be silent, nor bow their heads, nor be forced to
stand up for something they don't believe in or are actively opposed
to and they should not be forced to swear an oath of allegiance they
do not mean one word of. Any blind faith some people might have
in monarchy is their problem, not ours, and they're welcome to it.
People can carry on their worshipping and fanaticism about this
family after they have been removed from hereditary position in
government, access to public money and occupation of public buildings
and land. Don't be surprised if they might not want you to
though.<br />
<br />
<br />
Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-87087061930888928692012-02-20T07:08:00.000-08:002012-02-20T16:35:07.406-08:00The Palace and the Pit - from Keir Hardie speeches and writings - Forget your 'royal' baby<div class="western">In June, 1894, occurred the terrible disaster at the Albion Colliery, Cilfynydd, South Wales, when over 250 men were killed. About the same time President Carnot, of France, was assassinated and the Duchess of York gave birth to a son, the present Prince of Wales.</div><div class="western">Mr A.G. Gardiner, in a character sketch of Keir Hardie in his book, 'Prophets, Priests and Kings', wrote of Hardie's antipathy to royalty: 'He hates the Palace because he remembers the Pit.' </div><div class="western">In an editorial article in a special edition of the Labour Leader, June 30th, 1894, Keir Hardie wrote the following article, entitled 'Snobbery' : -</div><div class="western">'The Welsh holocaust puts everything into the shade this week. Two hundred and fifty human beings, full of strong life in the morning, reduced to charred and blackened heaps of clay in the evening. The air rent with the wail of the childless mother, the widowed wife and the orphaned child. Woe, woe unutterable everywhere, all through that fair Welsh valley. Only those who have witnessed such scenes, as I have twice over, can realise what they mean. Only those who know, as I know, that these things are preventable and solely due to man's cupidity, can understand the bitterness of feeling which they awaken. We are a nation of hypocrites. We go wild with excitement and demand vengeance when some hungry half-mad victim of our industrial system seeks to wreak his vengeance on the society which is murdering him by inches; and we piously look heavenward and murmur about a visitation of providence when two hundred and fifty miners are blown to bits because society places more value on property than it does on human life. Coal must be got cheap - even if 1200 sturdy miners are murdered yearly in the process - twelve hundred hearths made desolate.</div><div class="western">Never, surely, did the innate snobbery of respectable British society show itself to worse advantage than on Monday of this week. At a quarter to four on Saturday last 251 men and boys were killed by an explosion in the Albion colliery Cilfynydd, near Pontypridd, in the Taff Valley, Wales. That same evening at ten the Duchess of York was delivered of a son at the White Lodge, Richmond. On Sunday evening about half-past nine, President Carnot, on his way to the theatre, was stabbed by an assassin, and died shortly afterwards. Monday's papers were full of these things. in every case the London morning press on its placards made announcement of the events, though in every case the murder of the French President took precedence.</div><div class="western">The Daily Chronicle and the Daily Telegraph evidently consider the birth of a prince of more importance than the murder of 251 Welsh miners, as the items were disposed of in the following order -</div><div class="western"><br />
</div><div align="CENTER" class="western"> ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT CARNOT</div><div align="CENTER" class="western">BIRTH OF A ROYAL PRINCE</div><div align="CENTER" class="western">COLLIERY DISASTER IN WALES</div><div align="CENTER" class="western"><br />
</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">The evening papers were even worse. The Sun, Liberal (T P O'Connor's paper), the Star, Liberal, the Echo, Liberal Unionist, the Evening News, Tory, all came out with placards on which there was not a reference to the Welsh disaster, the murder of Carnot alone being noticed. The Chronicle puts its account of the murder in a black border. No black border is given to the account of the murder of the Welsh miners. Three full columns are allotted to the former; only 2 and 1-5th to the latter. The Star leading article is headed 'France - Our Sympathy'. Not a word about the Welsh miners. The Sun article is devoted in Tay Pay's best style to Carnot and the royal baby, with two fugitive references to the Welsh disaster.</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">And these are the papers from which the working classes expect political light and guidance. Never in the history of British journalism was there anything more offensively snobbish than the display with which I am dealing. Everyone would mourn with Madame Carnot, and rejoice in a subdued kind of way with the Duke and Duchess of York in the birth of their child, but it is to the sore-stricken poor of that Welsh valley, that the true hearts of this great nation will turn with its overwhelming sympathy. For the lick-spittals of the press who have no ears for the cry of the <i>poor</i> widow and orphan, and who attempt to see in the birth of a child to the Duke and Duchess of York, an event of Divine significance to the nation, there can be nothing but contempt. The life of one Welsh miner is of greater commercial and moral value to the British nation than the whole royal crowd put together, from the royal Great Grand-mama down to this puling royal Great Grand-child.'</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">What he wrote in the Labour Leader he did not fear to say boldly on the floor of the House of Commons in a speech opposing a motion moved by Sir William Harcourt (Hansard, June 28th 1894): -</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">Sir William Harcourt's motion read as follows: -</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">'That a humble address be presented to congratulate Her Majesty on the birth of a son to His Royal Highness the Duke and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York'</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">Mr KEIR HARDIE - "Mr Speaker, on my behalf and those who I represent I am unable to join in this public address. I owe no allegiance to any hereditary ruler (interruptions) and I will expect those who do to allow me the ordinary courtesies of debate. The resolution, Sir, proposes to congratulate Her Majesty on the birth of a son to the Duke and Duchess of York. It seeks to elevate to an importance which it does not deserve an event of daily occurrence. I have been delighted to learn that the child is a fairly healthy one, and had I had the opportunity of meeting its parents I should have been pleased indeed to join in the ordinary congratulations of the occasion. But when we are asked as a House of Commons representing the nation to join in the congratulations, then in the interests of the House I take leave to protest.</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">There is one aspect of this question which concerns the House of Commons. A Minister of the Crown is required to be present on this interesting occasion. I submit, Sir, that such a proceeding is not calculated to enhance the dignity of this House in the eyes of the nation. (Interruption and a voice, "Rot.") The hon. gentleman may say "Rot." If this hon. gentleman mixed freely with the common people as I do, he would have known their opinions on this question. Sir, that point of view demands that a protest of some kind should be made in this House. It is a matter of small concern to me whether the future ruler of the nation be the genuine article or a spurious imitation. Now, Sir, this proposal has been made because a child has been born into the royal family. We have the right to ask what particular blessing the royal family has conferred upon the nation that we should be asked to take part in the proceedings today. We have just heard it said that Her Majesty had ruled for over half a century. I would correct that, Sir, by saying that Her Majesty has reigned but has not ruled. I remember, in reading about the proceedings in connection with the Jubilee, that one point made was that during the fifty years of Her Majesty's reign the Queen had not interfered in the affairs of the nation. That may be reigning, but it is certainly not ruling.</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">Then, there is the Prince of Wales. What high dignity has his Royal Highness conferred upon the nation?</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">Colonel SANDERSON (Armagh) - I rise, Sir, for the purpose of moving that the hon. member be no longer heard.</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">Sir WM. HARCOURT - I hope that the hon. and gallant member will not press his motion. I do not think it would tend to produce the result he desires and which I think we all desire - namely, the prevention of disorder.</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">Mr KEIR HARDIE - I was about to observe that I know nothing in the career of the Prince of Wales which commends him especially to me. The "fierce white light" which we are told "beats around the throne" sometimes reveals things in his career it would be better to keep covered. Sometimes we get glimpses of the Prince at the gaming tables, sometimes on the racecourse. His Royal Highness is Duke of Cornwall, and as such he draws £60,000 a year from the Duchy property in London, which is made up of some of the vilest slums. (Cries of "Question.")</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">Mr SPEAKER - The hon. member must keep to the terms of the resolution.</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">Mr KEIR HARDIE - I will bow to your ruling, Sir, and proceed to the subject of the resolution. We are asked to rejoice because this child has been born, and that one day he will be called upon to rule over this great Empire. Up to the present time we have no means of knowing what his qualifications or fitness for that task may be. It certainly strikes me - I do not know how it strikes others - as rather strange that those who have so much to say about the hereditary element in another place should be so willing to endorse it in this particular instance. It seems to me that if it is a good argument to say that the hereditary element is bad in one case, it is an equally good argument to say that it is bad in the other. FROM HIS CHILDHOOD ONWARD THIS BOY WILL BE SURROUNDED BY SYCOPHANTS AND FLATTERERS BY THE SCORE (Cries of "Oh! oh!") and will be taught to believe himself as of a superior creation. ("Oh!" oh!") A line will be drawn between him and the people whom he is to be called upon some day to reign over. In due course, following the precedent which has already been set, he will be sent on a tour round the world, and probably rumours of a morganatic alliance will follow (Loud cries of "Oh!" "Order!" and "Question!"), and the end of it all will be that the country will be called upon to pay the bill. (Cries of "Divide!")</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">As a matter of principle, I protest against this motion being passed, and if there is another member of the House who shares the principles I hold I will carry my protest the length of a division. THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT FIND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A VOTE OF CONDOLENCE WITH THE RELATIVES OF THOSE WHO ARE LYING STIFF AND STARK IN A WELSH VALLEY, and, if that cannot be done, the motion before the House ought never to have been proposed either. If it be for rank and title only that time and occasion can be found in this House, then the sooner that truth is known outside the better for the House itself. I will challenge a division on the motion, and if the forms of the House will permit, I will go to a division in the hope that some members at least will enter their protest against the mummery implied in a resolution of this kind.</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">Mr SPEAKER - The question is that an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty to congratulate Her Majesty on the birth of a son to his royal Highness the Duke and her royal Highness the Duchess of York.</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">The putting of the question was followed by loud cries of "Aye!" from all parts of the House. Mr Keir Hardie alone replying in the negative. Mr Speaker declared that "I think the Ayes have it," but Mr Keir Hardie challenged the statement. The House was cleared for a division. On Mr Speaker again putting the question Mr Keir Hardie repeated his negative, but did not again challenge Mr Speaker's words. "The Ayes have it."</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">The Address was accordingly agreed to.'</div><div align="LEFT" class="western">A Chamber full of deplorable crawlers of no sensibility. Only one principled man. </div>Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-81834076781629333662012-02-07T03:25:00.000-08:002012-02-07T03:25:16.395-08:00Keir Hardie remarks on diamond jubilee<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">'Even under a representative system of government it is possible to paralyse a nation by maintaining the fiction that a reigning family is a necessity of good government. Now, one of two things must be – either the British people are fit to govern themselves or they are not. If they are, an hereditary ruler who in legislation has more power than the whole nation is an insult. Despotism and monarchy are compatible; democracy and monarchy are an unthinkable connection.</div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">If we are for the Queen we are not for her subjects. The throne represents the power of caste – class rule. Round the throne gather the unwholesome parasites who cling to the system which lends itself to their disordered condition. The toady who crawls through the mire of self-abasement to enable him to bask in the smile of royalty is the victim of a diseased organism. No healthy, well-developed people could for one moment tolerate an institution which belongs to the childhood of the race, and which in these latter days is the centre, if not the source, of the corrupting influences which constitute Society.</div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">The great mind, the strong heart, the detestation of wrong, the love of truth whether in cot or palace will always command my respect. But to worship an empty form, to make pretence to believe a gilded mediocrity indispensable to the wellbeing of the nation – where is the man who will so far forget what is due to his manhood? </div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">In this country loyalty to the Queen is used by the profit-mongers to blind the eyes of the people. We can have but one feeling in the matter – contempt for thrones and for all who bolster them up.'</div>Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-20672815732158288482012-01-19T04:46:00.000-08:002012-01-31T06:38:38.705-08:00Oath of Allegiance campaign <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">We have recently contacted Scottish ministers pressing that the Oath of Allegiance to Elizabeth I and her heirs and successors, sworn by MSPs prior to taking their seats at Holyrood as representatives of the people, be made voluntary rather than compulsory as soon as possible. As many MSPs and the First Minister state prior to taking the oath, their primary allegiance is to the Scottish people. We believe the oath sworn should refect that truth and an alternative oath should be drafted. </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">We’re asking that people contact their MSPs and press them politely on this issue. You can find out who your MSPs are here <a href="http://www.writetothem.com/?keyword=fax%20your%20MP&creativeid=494396979&gclid=CJe0uvD8260CFWQntAodXiPPmw%20%20%20">Find your MSPs</a> Currently some MSPs are members of Republic <a href="http://www.republicscotland.org/">Scotland</a> yet the first thing they must now do in a democratic Parliament to which they have been elected as representatives of the people is swear an oath they do not mean. That is a blight on the bud of Scottish democracy and must end. </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">We are calling for this now as the 320 year anniversary of the Glencoe massacre is on February 13th this year and this revolved around the clan Chief, MacIain, having been six days late in swearing an oath of allegiance to the king.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">That day 13th February 1692 two companies of the Argyll regiment of the British Army were given an order signed by the king to massacre Scottish children in Glencoe. It was the orginal plan of the Secretrary of State, James Dalrymple Master of Stair who played a crucial role in the subsequent 1707 Treaty of Union, that all the clans be destroyed. ‘I hope the soldiers will not trouble the government with prisoners’ reads his letter to that effect. But they only had the excuse for the Macdonalds - the Chief had to make his way through blizzards and was an old man. He went to Inverlochy (renamed 'Fort William') and was told he had to sign at Inverary. But Glencoe was a public relations disaster as the soldiers had been guests of the Macdonalds for nearly two weeks prior to the massacre, unaware of the order to come, so the act was ‘murder under trust’. Of course they could not carry out their orders to the letter which were to ‘put all to the sword under seventy’that they ‘be cut off root and branch’and that MacIain’s ‘sons do upon no account escape your hands’. They used guns which alerted the whole glen. Many escaped including the Chief’s sons but 39 were murdered and died horribly including women and children and about the same number perished in the snow trying to flee. </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">The order is in the national Library of Scotland. (transcript below)</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">‘<span style="font-size: small;">Sir,</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">You are hereby ordered to fall upon the rebels, the Macdonalds of Glencoe, and to put all to the sword under seventy. You are to have a special care that the old fox and his sons do upon no account escape your hands. You are to secure all the avenues that no man escape. This you are to put into execution at five of the clock precisely; and by that time, or very shortly after it, I'll strive to be at you with a stronger party. If I do not come to you at five, you are not to tarry for me, but to fall on. This is by the King's special command, for the good and safety of the country, that these miscreants be cut off root and branch. See that this be put in execution without feud or favour, else you may expect to be dealt with as one not true to King nor Government, nor a man fit to carry Commission in the King's service. Expecting you will not fail in the fulfilling hereof, as you love yourself, I subscribe these with my hand at Ballachulish.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Feb 12, 1692</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Robert Duncanson </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">For His Majesty's Service, </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">to Captain </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">Robert Campbell </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">of Glenlyon’</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">We say there should now be no forced oath of allegiance. What kind of future do we want for Scotland? Should it be one of reason, rights and common sense or should the first thing in the Parliament be a forced oppressive oath redolent of a tyranny that should be over?</span></span></div>Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-65437946620287570222012-01-17T05:30:00.000-08:002012-01-17T07:48:07.896-08:00This parcel of war criminals <br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Today's Scotsman contains an article which references the Master of Stair 'this most expert and effective advocate of the Union ' and orchestrator of it in 1707 who dropped dead a few days later after his drivel and iniquity. For some reason it fails to mention that for which he is even more infamous – he was one of the king's Scottish ministers found responsible by the inquiry into the order 'by the King's special command' in London to two companies of the Argyll regiment of the British army to massacre Scottish children at Glencoe. The king having signed the order shielded Stair from any punishment other than being dismissed from the Secretaryship of State. Of course the king slunk away unpunished.</div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Not just a parcel of rogues then, orchestrators of 'murder under trust', completely morally bankrupt, evil men.<br />
<br />
And we're told there will be a king Charles and another king William. Really? </div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Of course we have a king now, he's called David Cameron and he might have the tiniest of little minorities and have had to cook up a connivance with the LibDems but that's irrelevant once he is in Number 10 as then he has his shiny mitts on the royal prerogative and he now has more power in the confines of this country than Barack Obama has in America. He can take the country to war, write law, decree yachts, on his whim it stands. If there were a queen there she could do the same, and if there were a democratically elected governing body in the same city as she was, like say for instance a Greater London Council and she didn't like who the people of London had voted in she could simply say "I abolish you" and that would be that. And that's exactly what she did. The royal prerogative might not actually be used to do things in every case but it can be used by the PM and by the Privy Council and lies behind the great power Prime Ministers have to see that their will is done. </div></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">So people of Scotland have given Alex Salmond an amazing democratic majority and David Cameron is coming at him with the autocratic, unaccountable, corrupting, dangerous, tyrannical, fundamentally evil power of a king. Westminster is a creaking ancient mess and so is the unwritten constitution full of pointless precedents and traditions, only those in the government have any power to do things and Cameron trumps all else. Half the government is unelected and so is the head of state. So quaint in a 21st century 'democracy' don't you find? So sick. Speaker John Bercow said to Paul Flynn MP when the latter was attempting to criticise Andrew Windsor's errors in judgement and boorish behaviour when representing the country as Trade Ambassador: "References to members of the Royal Family should be very rare, very sparing and very respectful. We have to be very careful in our handling of these matters." How crawling. How ridiculous. And the Speaker is all about the rules.</div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
Scotland has a chance to escape this, to move into a new landscape where the people truly govern themselves. Only this will deactivate the SNP vast coalition with its one over-riding aim of independence, only then will Scottish politics breathe and move on. If we wait for more of the so benevolent 'giving' of powers that Cameron tries to kid us with as he 'gives' legal power (I give you the power to reform the cobweb-ridden half-baked joke that anachronistic Westminster 'democracy' is Cameron, get on with it, but you'd better be quick), where are the Crown estate and renewable energy powers Alex Salmond asked for with his huge mandate from the Scottish people? </div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Cameron and Westminster will give absolutely sweet FA powers to the people of Scotland, or England or anywhere else unless it's cooked up to the Westminster system's benefit. We must take those powers for ourselves. Absolutely all the way. Wake up, peoples of Britain.<br />
<br />
'Born from Evil<br />
<br />
the union, Jack<br />
the butcher's apron'</div>Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-33302009237802388112011-10-18T09:37:00.000-07:002011-10-18T09:37:03.248-07:00Truth Must Out<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was a bad day for the monarchy when the Independent broke the story of palace attempts to gain access to money from the state poverty fund to pay their fuel bills. And for those in denial over this one - I have had a response from a monarchist just saying it’s not true - just remember the palace confirmed the story, it’s never been in any doubt whatsoever. This had been discovered through Freedom of Information requests which the palace has now been made exempt from, meaning that if this happened again we could not find out. A Republic spokesman was quoted on that day: “These documents are clear evidence of the contempt the Palace has for ordinary people in this country. We have our head of state demanding cash that has been set aside for low-income families, for the most vulnerable in our society.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">“<span style="font-size: small;">This sense of entitlement speaks volumes about the attitudes of the Windsors and their household. For them it’s all about take, take, take.” That was what most people felt. My partner when fuelling up at a garage that day was met by an enraged mechanic absolutely furious and outraged at the story and delighted to be shown a Republic membership card - the first he’d heard of it. The fact that the palace could even consider making such a request is astounding. While let’s remember when they were previously asked to by the government committee looking into their requests for more money they refused to open up the palace to the public for more days per year in order to be more self-sufficient, and they failed to deliver documents asked for by the same government committee. So they clearly feel they can do whatever they like, not what they’re asked to or for. A very similar response when Elizabeth decided to honour Andrew with one of the highest honours in her personal gift, after his associations with criminals, dictators, and a convicted paedophile came out, when the people, even government ministers were calling for him to be dropped from his position as Trade Ambassador - this was her considered response. And now despite having ‘stepped down’ from the position, there he is still flying off to Saudi Arabia on public money. Next year they’ll be trying hard to promote the monarchy as being all about a benign 85 year old woman. Do not be fooled. The monarchy is a vast, unaccountable institution comprised of many vested interests, the core family both complicit and sacrificial, and nothing about it is benign. This country is full of 85 year old women and they all deserve at least as much respect as Elizabeth Windsor, many of them rather more. Toadying, sycophancy, obsequious crawling behaviour to this institution and those who populate it is nothing short of a sickness.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> We have to remember though, that the all-pervasive insidious nature of the institution means that many people are unconscious of its reality. The poverty fund story was a truth that got out and they’ve plugged that gap. We should publicise that truth loud and far and reiterate it, amongst others. We should concentrate on criticising the actions of the monarchy but to make it too much about the personalities involved is a counter-productive mistake - the perception could be that we’re criticising people when the truth is if we had a ‘royal’ family who were philanthropic, altruistic angels, well for one thing they would abolish themselves at that point, but we still wouldn’t want a monarchy because it’s not about them personally at all, they are to a greater or lesser extent puppets of the establishment and it’s the establishment which has to fall because it’s fundamentally wrong and damaging. There’s no point if we just get a new bunch - we don't want any, of any stripe, sex or religion. The most dignified and momentous thing that they could do now is to wait not upon the order of their going but to just bow to the advance of democracy in 2011, take up their sycophants, and go.</span></span></div>Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-86044791607455627742011-07-23T02:20:00.000-07:002011-07-23T02:20:04.504-07:00"You can't have Disneyland without Mickey Mouse."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;">One of the most common 'argument's 'for' the monarchy that we hear is this myth of the great tourism revenue the 'royal' family are purported to draw into the country. Even fairly intelligent people will trot out this commonly held belief as though it were some kind of unanswerable trump card. Embarrassing though this is as an argument for the basis of who a country's head of state should be, let's deal with it first as if it were a valid reason.</div><div style="text-align: left;">There is no actual basis in factual proof for this claim. Indeed quite the opposite would be the case, as the fact is that publicly owned palaces, castles and houses are being used as private residences by one family and they or their officials are blocking them being opened up to the public as a source of revenue. If this were not the case perhaps Buckingham Palace could be our Louvres displaying the 'royal' art collection, which is also owned by the public but which the public can currently see only 10% of (100,000+ items). But the situation now is that, although asked to by the previous government, the current custodians refuse to open up the palace more to even be self-sufficient, but come cap in hand to government asking for yet more money for its upkeep and fuel bills. <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/queen-tried-to-use-state-poverty-fund-to-heat-buckingham-palace-2088179.html%20">source</a> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Also the 'royal' family are not themselves on display anywhere, so if any tourists did come here to view same, they're likely to be disappointed. Would you go to Norway, Denmark or Sweden to see their 'royal' families? Why do you think people would come here to see the Windsors? Despite the enormous hype surrounding 'royal' weddings Visit Britain's own data has shown tourists actually avoided this country in the periods surrounding them. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/feb/11/royal-wedding-damp-squib-tourism">link</a></div><div style="text-align: left;">But the crux of the matter is in fact "So what?" People are apparently wedded to this belief and the title of this blog was an 'argument' used on the radio by a monarchist who rang during a phone-in with <a href="http://www.republic.org.uk/">Republic</a>'s Graham Smith. This crystallises the nonsense that this argument is. The land of Mickey Mouse does not have Mickey Mouse as head of state, it currently has Barack Obama and its head of state is accountable, removable and answerable to the people who elected him. We have a head of state chosen by accident of birth, who is none of these things, who is trundled about and whose speeches are scripted by others. <i>We</i> have the Mickey Mouse head of state, and it's embarrassing. Especially in 2011 when we go to war to 'bring democracy' to other countries, it looks extremely hypocritical when we ourselves can vote for less than half our government i.e. not for the House of Lords and not at all for our head of state.</div><div style="text-align: left;">With every new generation of 'royals' a claim of monarchic 'modernisation' is made - but nothing ever really changes. It's not in the interests of the people who take advantage of its unaccountability and secrecy, the anonymous officials who hide behind buildings "Buckingham Palace says" this and "Clarence House denies" that, who have access to millions in public money every year with opaque accountability - a system screaming out to be abused, where else would villains want to be? Neither is it in the interests of the politicians to change it as the dodgy deal done with monarchy centuries ago, before women could vote, before working men could vote, before any man who didn't own a certain amount of land could vote, hands the prime minister and privy council great powers - <i>too much</i> of the <i>wrong kind</i> of power. Not the accountable powers of elected representatives but the tyrannical powers of a monarch. This intolerable institution is suffocating for democracy, for the country and for the sacrificed human beings at its centre. "I'd rather have stayed in the navy, frankly." "Any bloody fool can lay a wreath at the thingammy." and what was Elizabeth's reaction when she saw that symbol of the great white hope for the monarchy and supposed tourist attraction, Kate's wedding dress display? "Horrid. Horrible. Creepy." Yes. It really is.</div></div>Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-57866702944894942292011-06-09T00:55:00.000-07:002011-06-09T00:55:33.448-07:00Paul Flynn MP's speech on 8th June 2011 on Philip's 90th birthday address in the Commons, in its entirety, from Hansard.<h5 align="left">12.53 pm</h5><a class="anchor" href="" name="st_o115"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="11060855000236"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="110608-0001.htm_spnew75"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="11060855001589"> </a> <b>Paul Flynn (Newport West) (Lab):</b> The supreme achievement of the Duke of Edinburgh is that he is working at the age of 90. This is a magnificent example and one that has been followed by a constituent of mine, Mr Harry Polloway, who is working as a toastmaster at the age of 97. I last saw him in the Jewish cemetery in my constituency, where we were commemorating the death of May Mendleson, who died last year at the age of 108. Continuing work into that period of life is a wonderful example to set, and one that we can look at with some embarrassment and shame in the House, where I believe the oldest Member—a distinguished Member—is just 80 years of age, and we have only five Members over the age of 76.<br />
<a class="anchor" href="" name="stpa_o57"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="110608-0001.htm_para57"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="11060855000237"> </a>This group of people are disgracefully under-represented in the House. If we are to have a proper reflection of senior citizens, we must look to have all-80-year-old shortlists at the next general election. In the light of the heroic examples set by Prince Philip, Harry Polloway and May Mendleson, that fault needs to be corrected.<br />
<a class="anchor" href="" name="stpa_o58"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="110608-0001.htm_para58"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="11060855000238"> </a>However, my purpose in speaking today is to make another point. As someone who is not a royalist and is happy to say that I am a republican and always have been, I want to ask why on earth, in this age, the address is to be “humble”. Are members of the royal family superior beings to the rest of us? Are we inferior beings to them? Is Prince Philip superior to Harry Polloway and May Mendleson? That was the feeling of the House seven centuries ago, when we accepted the rules under which we speak now.<br />
<a class="anchor" href="" name="stpa_o59"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="110608-0001.htm_para59"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="11060855000239"> </a>We live in an egalitarian time when we recognise the universality of the human condition, in which royals and commoners share the same strengths and frailty. In the House, when we speak of the royals—not just the monarch, but all the family, without any limit—we are denied the chance of making any derogatory comment. That might extend to first cousins who are a long way distant from the monarch. There is no question but that the monarch—the Head of State—should remain above the political fray. We have been well served by this, particularly recently.<br />
<a class="anchor" href="" name="stpa_o60"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="110608-0001.htm_para60"> </a> <a class="anchor" href="" name="11060855000240"> </a>However, if these occasions are to be greatly valued, it should be possible for Members to utter the odd syllable that might be critical. I do not have anything to say in this case, but the sycophancy described by the Prime Minister when he referred to someone asking Prince Philip a fairly obvious question when he came off a plane must sicken the royal family. When they have an excess of praise of this kind, it is devalued.Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-87201269136756279592011-06-08T09:41:00.000-07:002011-06-08T09:41:24.303-07:00Paul Flynn MP's full comment in Parliament today on the Prime Minister (I mean, sinister)'s 'humble address' to 'prince' Philip."Why on earth is this a humble address in this age? Are the royal family superior beings to the rest of us? Are we inferior beings to them? This was the feeling of the House seven centuries ago when we accepted rule under which we speak now. We live in an egalitarian time where we recognise the universality of the human condition, in which royals and commoners share the same strengths and frailties."<br />
<br />
Also please sign the petition to<br />
<h1>Change the National Assembly for Wales' oath of allegiance to one to the People, not the Queen!</h1>http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/change-the-oath-of-allegiance/Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-25582419884053706652011-06-06T04:16:00.000-07:002011-06-06T04:16:11.365-07:00Facebook refusing another link to Walesonline - 'Republican AM to snub Queen’s Senedd opening<div id="article-meta"> <ul><li class="article-meta-author">by Robin Turner, Western Mail</li>
<li class="article-meta-date"><a class="i-date" href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/06/06/" title="Find all articles published on Jun 6 2011 to the Wales News section">Jun 6 2011</a></li>
</ul></div><div class="sitelife_topcomment"> </div>A REPUBLICAN Welsh AM is to snub a visit to the Welsh Government by the Queen this week.<br />
South West Wales Plaid Cymru AM Bethan Jenkins will spend the day of the Queen’s opening of the fourth session of the government at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay tomorrow visiting businesses in Bridgend to find out if they are beginning to emerge from recession.<br />
Ms Jenkins said: “This is the second time I’ve decided not to attend the royal opening of the Senedd.<br />
“As a republican, I have no interest in meeting either the Queen or any member of the royal family.<br />
<div class="article"> <div class="mpu-ad mpu2"> <noscript> <a href="http://trinitymirror.grapeshot.co.uk/wales/redirect.cgi?target=http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/icwales2.5293/article_mpu;slot=article%5Fmpu;sect=welsh%2Dpolitics%2Dnews;templ=page;cat=News;reg=Wales;st=other;oid=28826532;sz=300x250;gs_cat=GS_CHANNELS;tile=4;ord=888662974?" target="_blank"> <img src="http://trinitymirror.grapeshot.co.uk/wales/redirect.cgi?target=http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/icwales2.5293/article_mpu;slot=article%5Fmpu;sect=welsh%2Dpolitics%2Dnews;templ=page;cat=News;reg=Wales;st=other;oid=28826532;sz=300x250;gs_cat=GS_CHANNELS;tile=4;ord=888662974?" alt="article_mpuAdvertisement" border="0" height="250" width="300"> </a> </noscript> </div></div>“My wish is for Wales to become a modern, independent country, and I cannot see any place for an outdated concept like the monarchy within it.<br />
“In order to progress towards becoming a modern and successful country, the most important thing we have to do is get the economy going again.<br />
“The past decade has not been kind to Welsh business and the Welsh Government must do what it can to enable companies in towns like Bridgend to thrive and grow.<br />
“It is my job as an Assembly Member to scrutinise the work of the Welsh Government and press it to provide opportunity for the economy.<br />
“One of the best ways I can do that is by bringing views back from the business coal face.”<br />
Ms Jenkins said she would like to hear from any member of the public in Bridgend who wants an issue to be aired in the Senedd.'Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-13147865246222829782011-06-05T05:03:00.000-07:002011-06-05T05:03:44.426-07:00Chris Bryant, you would make Keir Hardie sickThe following is an article published by South Wales Echo which I've been trying to link on Facebook - it won't let me as they say it's been flagged up as 'abusive'. What do you think? #censorship<br />
<div id="article-header"> <h1 id="article-headline">AM Leanne Wood snubs Queen</h1><div id="article-meta"> <ul><li class="article-meta-author"><span style="font-size: large;">by Wayne Nowaczyk, </span></li>
<li class="article-meta-date"><span style="font-size: large;"><a class="i-date" href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/06/04/" title="Find all articles published on Jun 4 2011 to the Wales News section">Jun 4 2011</a></span></li>
</ul></div></div><span style="font-size: large;">A WELSH Assembly Member has come under fire for “snubbing” the Queen.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Staunch republican Leanne Wood is boycotting Tuesday’s ceremonial opening of the fourth Assembly, choosing instead to pack emergency boxes for people who cannot afford food.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Plaid Cymru AM insisted: “It is nothing short of a national scandal that there are people who cannot afford to feed themselves in modern day Wales.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“This is why I have decided to spend the day with the Rhondda Foodbank because, like the other projects in Wales, they provide a last resort for people who have nowhere else to turn when they cannot afford the essentials in life.”</span><br />
<div class="article"> <div class="mpu-ad mpu2"> <noscript> <a href="http://trinitymirror.grapeshot.co.uk/wales/redirect.cgi?target=http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/icwales2.5293/article_mpu;slot=article%5Fmpu;sect=wales%2Dnews;templ=page;cat=News;reg=Wales;st=other;oid=28818242;sz=300x250;gs_cat=GS_CHANNELS;tile=4;ord=510544522?" target="_blank"> <img src="http://trinitymirror.grapeshot.co.uk/wales/redirect.cgi?target=http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/icwales2.5293/article_mpu;slot=article%5Fmpu;sect=wales%2Dnews;templ=page;cat=News;reg=Wales;st=other;oid=28818242;sz=300x250;gs_cat=GS_CHANNELS;tile=4;ord=510544522?" alt="article_mpuAdvertisement" border="0" height="250" width="300"> </a> </noscript> </div></div><span style="font-size: large;">But her stance has riled Rhondda’s Labour MP Chris Bryant. He said: “This is just childish attention-seeking.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Most people in the Rhondda, whether they are republicans or monarchists, reckon the Queen does an exceptional job and would expect all members of the Assembly to show her a certain degree of respect.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“With all her experience, I suspect the Queen could teach Ms Wood a thing or two.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Plaid AM has absented herself three times because of the royal connection since her election in 2003.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">She said: “In the modern Wales people should not be subjects, we should be citizens. The monarchy represents a hereditary class system which perpetuates inequality.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“The Royals are an unaccountable, privileged elite allowed and encouraged by government to expand its wealth through the patronage of the civil list, the honours system and the land assets their ancestors pillaged from common people. The income they can make from the Crown Estates land in Wales in future years is money that could be well used by the cash- strapped Welsh Government.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“It is worth remembering that while millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is spent every year on maintaining the Royal family and their hangers-on in the style they are accustomed to, adults and children are going hungry because they have no money to buy food.”</span>Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7666219430425307239.post-79850336508073663582011-06-04T08:27:00.000-07:002011-06-04T08:27:30.825-07:00Elizabeth the Last<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}"><span class="messageBody">It has begun. The palace PR machine has geared into action just as we drew breath from the onslaught of the wedding to "bring the whole nation together in celebration" which happened just before Scotland voted to "break the nation apart as soon as possible if you think we're swallowing this". <br />
<br />
Undaunted, they now bring us a celebration of 60 years of an unelected, unaccountable head of state absorbing millions in public money every year for herself and wider family, sitting on and rendering paralysed and inaccessible the national assets of palaces, castles and art collection, a voiceless puppet facilitating monarchic power to the Prime Minister and Privy Council, the apogee of an undead class system draining the blood of justice, fairness, common sense, humanity and reason from our society at every level.<br />
<br />
We say this should be celebrated as 'Elizabeth the Last' as even people who have worked in royal households have said Elizabeth should be the last monarch. Those who want to honour this woman should be appeased - as the Last she should be as immortal as Cleopatra. If you let Charles take the throne the monarchy will die with a whimper.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth should be allowed to retire into the sunset, as any other woman in the country would be allowed to at the age of 85, with her dogs, her horses and her 90 year old husband whose apposite clarification of the 'royal' 'work' is crystal clear: - "Any bloody fool can lay a wreath at the thingamy" "I'd much rather have stayed in the Navy, frankly". We say it's time to let them both off the hook and facilitate the complete extrication of monarchy and 'royalty' from any role in government, any access to public money and any custodianship of national assets. Timed to be done by next year would be perfect.<br />
<br />
In the meantime we would appreciate a balanced coverage in place of the "Everyone in Canada is absolutely thrilled at the honour the 'royal' couple are bestowing by their visit" school of hyperbolic propaganda. Thanks. </span></h6>Highland Republic Affiliationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11387447376775053427noreply@blogger.com0