Feldoon

That's the best suggestion so far.

It'd work wonders at football matches.

Besoeker

I'm surprised it's that few.

Britannist

This England, please prove to me the Monarchist movement in France is tiny. I would ask you to provide me with a link/source - but I've just realised you only ask for links/sources but don't give them back.

The last thing I heard about the Monarchist movement in France was that 17% of the population of France agreed with it - that's about ten million people. Certainly not "tiny" as you claim above, This England. And enough people to elect a government over here - Blair got in on 9.5 million votes last time.

As for republicanism over here. Support for it is lower than the 17% who want the Monarchy back in France. Opinion polls in the UK on the issue of the Monarchy have also shown that support for republicanism is lower in England than elsewhere in the UK. So if an opinion poll says 80% of the people of the UK back the Monarchy - the number backing the Monarchy specifically in the English part of the UK is even higher.

Republicanism in England is nearly always the preserve of an elitist wealthy europhile fringe. Take a look at the people who run the organisastion which campaigns for a republic in the UK. None of them are from the English working class.

God Save The Queen.

Britannist

Besoeker, Don't listen to the figures he gives - he often gets them wrong and/or exaggerates. In 'rough' figures opinion polls have shown an underlying trend of about a fifth of the voting population across the UK who claim they don't support the Monarchy. However, not all of these people would actually vote for a republic. Some might switch from being republican to being 'agnostic' on Royalty - or even actually vote to keep the Monarchy when presented with the awful alternatives (i.e. John Prescott or Michael Heseltine as President).

The 'rough' figure of a fifth of electors being republican is just about the highest figure the anti-Monarchists have managed to get - 15% is a more realistic figure of the number of republicans in the UK.

If you look at England only, the number of republicans is lower than the 15% - 20% mentioned above.

Incidentally, the lowest level of support for the Monarchy in opinion polls here - 70% is still much higher than the best ever approval rating President Chirac or President Mitterand got as republican head of state in France. In other words, the British Monarchy at its least popular point in the polls (70%) is still more popular than the French Presidency is on its highest ever rating in the opinion polls with the French people.

There's also one other point I just thought I'd add - about a third of the people of the Irish Republic believe, according to an opinion poll, that the Irish Presidency is a waste of money. Far higher than the number of people over here who think the Monarch is a waste of money.

The number backing the Monarchy in the UK (at least 48 million people according to opinion polls) is over five times the number who voted for Blair's Lie-bour Party at the last General Election.

blank_frackis

What the majority of these people support is the existence of the Monarch as a figurehead, I would sincerely hope that the percentage of people who want the Monarchy to have any political power is tiny. However I don't have a problem with God Save the Queen (even though I'm Scottish) it's the world's first national anthem and it would be a shame for it to be replaced.

Britannist

I'm glad you don't mind God Save The Queen. We can't have Jerusalem as the national anthem of the UK as someone else suggested (earlier in this thread) because it is an English anthem.

I don't think there's any issue of the Monarchy having any power; nor would they want any (I would imagine). We are a Constitutional Monarchy and one of the main advantages of having a Monarch is that it is a non-political post. Most republics around the world end up with someone from party politics as head of state. Look at our neighbours France and the Irish Republic.

I can't see John Prescott or Michael Heseltine as President of the UK getting any loyalty from the people of these islands. Indeed, if either of them were head of state, it would quickly result in the break up of the UK (apart from making a large number of people emigrate anyway). I can't see the people of Scotland tolerating either of those two for too long. Scotland is loyal The Crown - not to discredited political has-beens or never-will-be's.

Besoeker

Britannist, I think you might have misread my post.

Britannist

I'm pretty sure I read it correctly.

Your said in your post that you had expected that the level of opposition to the Monarchy might have been higher than the third of voters claimed by This England.

I then made the point that support for republicanism was not as high as the third claimed by This England.

In other words, you thought that anti-Monarchy feeling might have been higher than a third. I said that it was lower than a third, and that the figure from This England is wrong.

Unionist

I am surprised that support for changing the national anthem seems to be associated a lot with the expression of English identity, especially as the current national anthem expresses defence of the monarch against the (Scots) rebellion of 1745.

Indeed, the sixth verse of the anthem (which is rarely used nowadays) is as follows:

It sounds perfect for our English nationalist friends and it is acceptable to British monarchists too, thus satisfying two sides of an uneasy alliance.

Jacobites may have a problem with it but I don't see why most of us would not stick with the current anthem.

This-England

Ive give many links and sources to you and others over the last few months.
No one should doubt my word now.
However last I checked Monarchist support in France was far under 17%.
It now only clings on in a few fringe groups of the National Front.
You say support for Republicanism is small among the Working Class of England yet i know dozens of sound Patriots who despise the current monarchy.