I recently took a clever-clever dig at Barnet council for subverting Barnet PledgeBank into a tool to organise Royal Wedding parties, but I missed the actual story: Barnet council is subsiding people's Royal Wedding parties! That means I'm subsidising people's Royal Wedding parties!
Now, I realise that councils and their forerunners have since time immemorial paid for or subsidised royal celebrations of all sorts (apart from a sticky patch in the mid-17th century - they call it the English Revolution), but it still rankles. I know that loyalty to the monarchy is part of our constitution, and not, therefore, the same as a religious affiliation, but I still feel like appealing to "secular" principles here: I don't believe in monarchy, I don't want our constitutional monarchy, I don't see why I should contribute to Royal Wedding celebrations.
If people want street parties, let them arrange their own free public liability insurance. I realise that the council has to be involved with facilitating road closures: then let them charge for it! We're cash strapped, it could be a nice little earner.
I am going to submit a pledge to organise a republican picnic on the day. (Everyone round to my house!) Where's our free public liability insurance? Where are our traffic cones?
Assuming that my pledge is not successful, and you still want to go to an organised republican event on 29 April, the highly respectable Republic campaign are doing something in Earlham Street, Covent Garden. Details here.
I shall probably take myself and a few friends off for a picnic on Parliament Hill. I'm not going to do like some and migrate to France for the day. I don't know what happened on the cross-Channel ferry 30 years ago but it wasn't good.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
8 comments:
I do think Robert Ramsbottom should be asked if he has carried out an impact assessment on behalf of republican citizens before promoting this monarchist hoo ha. I will however be watching the event in order to have a good laugh at Camilla Parker Bowles choice of hat. Shameful, but there you go.
My neighbours are trying to organise a street party and I need somewhere to go. So I will happily pledge to join yours if you wish
Having had a read of the small print of the insurance, it seems acts involving 'drunkenness' aren't covered, looks like it may be a cheap policy... So that's gonna be great, someone l gets drunk and does something bad, will they come for your house?
An ancestor of mine arranged a republican street party. His name was Chidiock Tichborne and the party was called the Babbingdon plot.
He got hung drawn and quartered for his trouble. Make's me a bit nervous to sign up
I see, so it's alright to make everyone pay for some mouldy old museums that about 1.7% of the population visit but if neighbourhoods want a street party they must pay for it themselves. Not very logical but, dammit, you are a woman and a socialist - need I say more?
Rog, please don't give me ideas . . .
The cost of the Monarchy is about 70 pence per taxpayer per year. If you really object to this Vicki, I will pay your share, provided you reimburse me for my share of the Olympics which your mate Ken foisted upon us.
Comparing the two, it is not difficult to work out which will provide the longer lasting legacy. Tourists will hopefully visit London next year to watch the Olympics, but they will return year after year (as they have done for generations) to visit the Royal Palaces.
And do you really think it would cost the nation less if we were a Republic, especially when you factor in the value to tourism of the current Constitutional Monarchy?
David Duff - re: your comments on Vicki; she may be a woman and a socialist, but she certainly knows what she wtites about. For example, I know that she has researched her stuff vis-a-vis the "mouldy old" Barnet Museum, she has visited the Museum, spoken to volunteers and met visitors.
However the tone of your contribution here shows that you have no need for a "mouldy old museum" living, as you do, in the stone age.
Dear DCMD,
70p! I could get 6 Tesco jam tarts with that!
More to the point, getting rid of monarchy might begin to cure the human race of illnesses like this:
http://www.britishroyals.info/will-camilla-have-to-curtsey-to-kate/
Or this:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i6LsVzjPm8w_DiIAWyUQNKBu1Hrg?docId=306e2984b95c47b5a6e9d948d325bd0f
But it's all harmless, isn't it? I mean, it doesn't make cretins of us, not a bit.
Chris, I'll post the details of anything I do get around to organising. It has to be done! You will be more than welcome.
V
Post a Comment