Posted on 08/07/2008 8:28:30 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
A group of MPs is calling for the oath of allegiance to the Queen be scrapped.
The 22 MPs want the Commons and the Lords to be allowed to swear allegiance to their constituents and the nation rather than to the monarch.
The cross-party group, led by Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, says MPs' "principal duty" should be to the people who elected them.
The unofficial campaign caused dismay among Royalist MPs, one of whom accused the group of "constitutional vandalism".
Currently, MPs must take the oath at the start of a new parliament, swearing on a bible or an equivalent sacred text.
Much amended down the centuries, the current wording is: "I [name] swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God."
Those with no religion, or those like Quakers whose religion makes oaths objectionable, are able to affirm.
The coalition is campaigning for an alternative oath allowing MPs to, "swear allegiance to their constituents and the nation and to pledge to uphold the law, rather than one pledging personal allegiance to the serving monarch."
Peter Bottomley, the former Conservative Transport Minister, said he would support a proposal for the oath to be made voluntary.
However Geoffrey Cox, Tory MP for Torridge and West Devon said: "This is an act of uncomprehending constitutional vandalism. The Queen is the centre of the British constitution."
Republican sentiment among MPs has grown steadily, and there have been previous calls for modernisation of the oath.
One occasion the MP for Bolsover murmured: "I can't swear allegiance to a Queen who refuses to pay taxes."
Irish republicans have always rejected the historic oath and so are unable to take their seats in the Chamber.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Off with their heads !
Do their constituents happen to be Muslims?
Bloody clowns!!!
That’s OK, Obama wants to ditch the oath to this country.
Sounds reasonable to me. But then again I don’t see the point in having a state sanctioned caste system where a single family, by virtue of their being born, gets to live in unimaginable luxury and have their every need and wanted tended to all at taxpayer expense. Of course though, I am not British so maybe I’m not supposed to understand it.
Good, there is no role for monarchy in a modern democracy.
We here in the US aren’t so fond of royalty. We essentially said the same thing to King George.
Your ancestors left that system. You're making them proud by rejecting it today.
Bit different in Oz. We’re very happy with our Constitutional Monarchy. It works well.
Just become a republic already.
Don’t they at least have to throw some tea in the harbor and have a revolution first?
Our politican, if not ethnic, ancestors were right to kick those inbred twits out. Here’s looking forward to the UK becoming the Republic of Great Britain. Its about time!
Our political, if not ethnic, ancestors were right to kick those inbred twits out. Here’s looking forward to the UK becoming the Republic of Great Britain. Its about time!
You better believe it. Sorry to say, but the Monarchy will die when Elizabeth does. Ol Chuck will hand the country over to the Muslims the day she’s laid to rest
Better example:
Execution of three of the Regicides, October 1660.
I almost had an opinion about the topic of this thread, but then I just decided to shrug and turn the page.
For one thing, the witless don't generally hero-worship their political candidates if they have a royal family to occupy their few brain cells. Keeps the idiot vote down to a dull roar.
And the royals work pretty hard for their money (most of which is not due to the monarchy but to their hereditary holdings in Chelsea and the City of London as Dukes of Cornwall, etc.) A constant round of openings, state dinners, being polite while bored to tears, etc. Like being stuck in the most boring business meeting you ever attended -- forever.
And no private life at all, and no privacy. Imagine having a couple of live-in servants who know all your business (they always do) and then multiply that by a couple of thousand. Plus the press standing ready to report every scandal, controversy, and gaffe, and even making up a few.
I wouldn't do it for ANY amount of money (not that there's any chance of that happening to the descendant of an English carriagemaker, a Scottish MacGregor on the run from the law, and a bunch of Alabama dirt farmers!)
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