POLL - Should the UK monarchy now be abolished ? Y/N - all ATS members please contribute

a reply to: RP2SticksOfDynamite No they should be given more power back.

a reply to: stumason
Germany probably is the best comparison. I would absolutely agree that we get better value for money just don't think that is enough to justify something as inherently undemocratic as a hereditary head of state.

Also to add that anyone who thinks the majority of people in UK want rid of them is clearly delusional. There is not a single major party that has abolition of even major reform in their manifesto. Even the SNP want to keep them. If there was support for abolition I think some party would try and get the votes for this.

a reply to: Lladdwr
Sorry could you explain what powers thanks?

a reply to: Lladdwr

In a funny way I agree.
Liz I think with all her experience would have made a fine leader.
Mich better than the last cpuple of prime ministers.

a reply to: boymonkey74
But how would we know? She has never expressed an opinion on any political topic that we know about other than Scottish independence and she was wrong on that one (sorry couldn't resist)
She could be in favour of compulsory naked Tuesdays and Morris dancing as the national sport and we wouldn't have a clue.

a reply to: ScepticScot

Hmmm naked tuesdays I would vote for that lol.
It is just that she has seen many pms come and go and iam sure she is a great diplomat.
She commands respect much more than any pm I have seen.
Wish I gad a telly with alternate univeres shown so I could see how it would of turned out.

originally posted by: stumason
a reply to: RP2SticksOfDynamite

No, it's got no basis in science and is hardly surprising given the audience here.

And you've already been told about your "circle of friends" and I highly doubt you really do have friends from "all backgrounds and statuses". I doubt anyone does for that matter.

Your doubts and lack of knowledge about what I do and don't have are your problem! Not everybody's circle is so small.
I have lived for half a century and have had a very interesting career, my own businesses, and wealth and property, yet I came from the poor. I have more letters after my name than their are in your name!

Nevermind!

Personally, i think Britain as a whole has a differing view on Monarchy to most other places and the reasons for this are historical (and so old now they are almost part of the national pysche).

Monarchy in Europe (and much of the rest of the world) was always about absolute power. Britain was always different. The Anglo Saxon Witans elected Kings (not had a throne passing to children automatically). They traditionally had a check on the powers of kingship and held meetings to pass judgements, etc. Yes, the Monarchy in this time was still the ultimate symbol of power but in Britain at least, it was more akin to the role of chairperson (guiding the meeting rather than running the show).

And then the Norman Conquest happened and the more European version of Kingship was enforced (divine rule, etc). What happened? Revolts, uprisings, brutal put downs and so on for decades. And then sullen resentment of the population before the pattern is repeated until we get to the Magna Carta which may not look much now but which was completely unheard of anywhere else in Europe -guaranteeing the rights of the common man.

We then get plague throughout Europe, and in Britian this is seen as an opportunity for more negotiations of power for the common man, whereas in Europe it was the opposite. This was all hunky dory for a while but then you get Monarchy(Charles 1) trying to exert to much power and re introduce "divine rule" - the result? Head chopped off, end of Monarchy. But then what happens? We have a short period of Puritan rule, whcih doesn't prove so popular at all and we decide that actually, we would rather have our version of Monarchy rather than any random nutters that can assume power - we will just put checks on them (in other words, a return to a more Anglo Saxon version of Monarchy but adding in hereditary accesion). This is where we went wrong in my opinion - we should return to a Witan picking the best candidate.

And before anyone points it out, yes this is a rather simplified version.

a reply to: RP2SticksOfDynamite

I think this has been an interesting exercise and its been good seeing all the different opinions.
But its hardly been a scientific poll taking a random sample of the population with a result given within a reasonable confidence level.

And it would be interesting to see the percentage of British members in favour of abolition.

The fact remains, abolition is not a major concern for the majority of British people, something I find re-assuring - there are far more important issues that affect our everyday lives that need addressing with a matter of urgency.

No.

a reply to: Freeborn I thought that the British monarchy was somehow related to German royalty; Battenberg and Schleswig-Holstein come to mind. European royalty is known for inbreeding and only recently have offspring benefitted from another gene pool.

What would be the benefit to the citizens of the UK of abolishing the monarchy? Half of the newspapers and magazines in the UK would probably fold up and the entertainment value of the royal peccadillos would be lost. Parliament is far too boring and important to have entertainment value while the royals are generally superfluous and good only for grand pageantry and innocuous scandal.

That said, I must remain neutral as I am not a citizen of the UK and nothing the Windsors do would have any direct effect on me.

originally posted by: RP2SticksOfDynamite

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: RP2SticksOfDynamite

Wow what a surprise. ..ats is against the monarchy. ...
Means nothing the majority of us British actually want Them.
So put that in your pipe.

They dont!! I survey many frioends from all backgrounds and status and 60% are in favour of abolishment. So the ATS poll stands up and funnily enough at the same %.

The people of the UK dont want these parasites anymore!

You survey your friends? And that makes it a scientific test? As you are making your feeling on the subject very clear it stands to reason your friends would have a similar point of view, or would say what they knew you wanted to hear unless they had a very clear stance themselves.

I hope you aren't double counting posts from the same posters in your 'poll', I make it the majority posting in this thread that have identified themselves as being in the UK are saying they would rather keep the monarchy than lose it.

originally posted by: uncommitted

originally posted by: RP2SticksOfDynamite

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: RP2SticksOfDynamite

Wow what a surprise. ..ats is against the monarchy. ...
Means nothing the majority of us British actually want Them.
So put that in your pipe.

They dont!! I survey many frioends from all backgrounds and status and 60% are in favour of abolishment. So the ATS poll stands up and funnily enough at the same %.

The people of the UK dont want these parasites anymore!

You survey your friends? And that makes it a scientific test? As you are making your feeling on the subject very clear it stands to reason your friends would have a similar point of view, or would say what they knew you wanted to hear unless they had a very clear stance themselves.

I hope you aren't double counting posts from the same posters in your 'poll', I make it the majority posting in this thread that have identified themselves as being in the UK are saying they would rather keep the monarchy than lose it.

Rubbish. And you can count then. I surveyed friends, business acquaintances over dinner, professionals I have worked with, family members, poor and rich alike and 6 out of 10 want the monarchy abolished. just like the ATS poll. I would not trust polls that are fed through or from the media. Even when I was working student the topic came up and the class/room vote came out 50/50 and that was a long time ago.

Thread Ended!! Thanks to all that contributed. Vote came out at approx. 60% in favour.

Ive seen plenty of interesting answers. I am not British, so I have no real business answering.

But this is hypothetical, so I'll play.

NO, with a twist. Since the royals are a source of income from tourists, let them be just that, tour guides.

Strip all power, and the majority of wealth, and make them give top shelf tours of the palace and give lectures on the historical importance and such. Make it a grand tour, and then the queen mum can serve the tour group tea, and they can take pictures with the nobility, and then get trotted off to the gift shoppe.

originally posted by: RP2SticksOfDynamite

originally posted by: uncommitted

originally posted by: RP2SticksOfDynamite

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: RP2SticksOfDynamite

Wow what a surprise. ..ats is against the monarchy. ...
Means nothing the majority of us British actually want Them.
So put that in your pipe.

They dont!! I survey many frioends from all backgrounds and status and 60% are in favour of abolishment. So the ATS poll stands up and funnily enough at the same %.

The people of the UK dont want these parasites anymore!

You survey your friends? And that makes it a scientific test? As you are making your feeling on the subject very clear it stands to reason your friends would have a similar point of view, or would say what they knew you wanted to hear unless they had a very clear stance themselves.

I hope you aren't double counting posts from the same posters in your 'poll', I make it the majority posting in this thread that have identified themselves as being in the UK are saying they would rather keep the monarchy than lose it.

Rubbish. And you can count then. I surveyed friends, business acquaintances over dinner, professionals I have worked with, family members, poor and rich alike and 6 out of 10 want the monarchy abolished. just like the ATS poll. I would not trust polls that are fed through or from the media. Even when I was working student the topic came up and the class/room vote came out 50/50 and that was a long time ago.

Thread Ended!! Thanks to all that contributed. Vote came out at approx. 60% in favour.

No, I wouldn't trust a vote where the person who solicited it, made their own views very clear and made it open to an audience that have (and no disrespect here) no direct knowledge of what it was actually based on. I think what you have wanted to do is vindicate your own opinion, nothing more, nothing less.

a reply to: Aliquandro

..... and then the queen mum can serve the tour group tea,....

Hmmm.....now that would be interesting indeed - she died nearly 13 years ago.

a reply to: Freeborn
This is ATS. A significant number will think she has just went back to the mothership or is working at a burger king with Elvis.

a reply to: RP2SticksOfDynamite

I'm not even going to read much into this... My take is simple:

The entire world should exist under one government. End of story.

The only reason it doesn't, is extremist views that make other's beliefs intolerable or 'reprimandable' - which we need to get over as a human race.