'Time to get rid of the monarchy' says Oxford councillor (From Oxford Mail)

'Time to get rid of the monarchy' says Oxford councillor

6:20am Tuesday 17th March 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(12)

THE former Lord Mayor of Oxford and an academic will today call for the abolition of the monarchy.

Despite Oxford’s royal connections, notably as Charles the First's capital during the Civil War, republicans will use the occasion of the 360th anniversary of his execution to call for the end of Britain having a hereditary head of state.

Anti-monarchist and Labour councillor for Littlemore, John Tanner, a former Lord Mayor, said: “I happen to think we have a very good Queen, who is a very nice lady and very committed to the country.

However, if she wasn’t, we’d still be stuck with her.

“I just think a monarchy is an outdated, undemocratic way of running the country.

“We need a more grown up system of Government.”

Although many believe Queen Elizabeth has no power, she is permitted to ask the leader of one of the parties to try to form a government if one party has no majority in the House of Commons.

In the 2007/08 financial year, the Royal Family’s official accounts showed they cost the taxpayer £40m a year – the equivalent of 66p per person in the UK.

Royalists argue the Queen attracts many millions of pounds more in tourism, as well as surrendering millions in revenue from the Crown Estates in exchange for Civil List payments.

However, Mr Tanner believes the taxpayer could save about 90 per cent of the cost of the Civil List if Britain had an elected president.

“As taxpayers we subsidise the monarchy a lot and all the extended family and hangers-on. That money, in my view, ought to be spent on important things like education and tackling poverty instead of being spent on big palaces and chauffer driven cars.

“The economy is in a mess, we need every penny and I think to waste it on the paraphernalia of the monarchy isn’t very sensible.”

The rally, to be held outside Carfax tower at 6pm, will also see Merton College professor of literature David Norbrook, city councillor David Will-iams and trade union activist Bill McKeith speak.

Mr McKeith, a member of the Oxford and District Trades Union Council, said: “Freedom from an unelected monarch is one of the greatest civil liberties we could want.”

cwalker@oxfordmail.co.uk

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(12)