Royal wedding and the economy

Loughton_Monkey

ninky wrote: »

you really think that if we got rid of the monarchy the crown estate would go back into their hands?

That's a short term view.

Get rid of the Monarchy, then, yes of course, the bulk of the "Family Silver" would remain state owned, but that's not the point.

We have so little income from abroad (see our staggering and increasing Balance of Payments continuing to make us poorer). What little income we get from tourism is still significant. Why do you think tourists flood here in droves? The excellent national food? Cheap prices? Breathtaking Scenery?

No. Just look at the huge crowds at changing of the guard. Or trooping of the colour. Yanks and Japanese standing in front of Buckingham Palace in a fruitless attempt to glimpse the Queen....

I look on the existence of the Monarchy as a great money-spinner.

Besides all that, just look at the problems Australia (etc.) have in trying to abolish their status. It's all about the Constitution. The British Constitution is largely unwritten and strictly speaking, gives the Monarch 'absolute' powers. So how do you replace it?

Try doing a 'Find & Replace' and substitue "The Queen" for "The UK President". Absolutely ridiculous, since who would trust the same 'absolute' powers to be given to someone like Tony Blair, Lionel Blair, or whichever 'mere mortal' we voted in as President? So the whole thing would have to be completely re-written. An more impossible task I couldn't imagine, until we become as poor as any little tin-pot African Republic (probably not long now) when we can maybe copy one of theirs.

A._Badger

Loughton_Monkey wrote: »

Try doing a 'Find & Replace' and substitue "The Queen" for "The UK President". Absolutely ridiculous, since who would trust the same 'absolute' powers to be given to someone like Tony Blair, Lionel Blair, or whichever 'mere mortal' we voted in as President? So the whole thing would have to be completely re-written. An more impossible task I couldn't imagine, until we become as poor as any little tin-pot African Republic (probably not long now) when we can maybe copy one of theirs.

Up to a point. Certainly the prospect of a President Blair (though shouldn't that be Princess?) or President Cameron is enough to turn anyone into a raging monarchist.

But the problem isn't new and it has been solved once before. The men who wrote the US Constitution were, after all, British.

ninky_2

Loughton_Monkey wrote: »

Why do you think tourists flood here in droves? The excellent national food? Cheap prices? Breathtaking Scenery?

.

americans often come here because they have some sort of uk ancestry they want to check up on. shakespeare is also a big draw (stratford upon avon, the globe theatre etc), then there is the fact we are an english speaking nation and many people speak the lingo. football and pubs as i've said. people like our old castles, our world famous university towns (oxford and cambridge). the shopping and the weakness of the pound is also an attraction at the moment.

as i've said before, i really seriously doubt that many tourists come here specifically because we have a monarchy (unless perhaps their from that small island of tanna where the people literally believe the duke of edinburgh is the messiah).

A._Badger

So are we to assume the 33 million Americans who watched Diana's funeral on TV did so at gun point? That the special edition of Time on the death of Diana didn't really sell 1.2 million copies (easily the largest sale for such a supplement)? That the awful Sarah Ferguson became a minor celebrity in the USA on the strength of her towering intellect and brilliant repartee?

vaporate

A._Badger wrote: »

So are we to assume the 33 million Americans who watched Diana's funeral on TV did so at gun point? That the special edition of Time on the death of Diana didn't really sell 1.2 million copies (easily the largest sale for such a supplement)? That the awful Sarah Ferguson became a minor celebrity in the USA on the strength of her towering intellect and brilliant repartee?

Point?

Who cares.

Cleaver

Loughton_Monkey wrote: »

Why do you think tourists flood here in droves? The excellent national food? Cheap prices? Breathtaking Scenery?

I think 'yes' to that last point.

A._Badger

vaporate wrote: »

Point?

Who cares.

As I was saying (assuming you were awake) 33 million Americans. That's 33 million people Ninky apparently doesn't believe in.

Jonbvn

Once again, Britain will lead the world as we make an enormous fuss over the wedding of two incredibly wealthy young people who have been handed everything on a plate.

OK, so I stole it from the Daily Mash

Blacklight

I can see a massive change in public sentiment on the horizon. We haven't had a feel good news story on this scale for a long time. Despite a few bitter individuals who still think the world is flat and we'll all be bartering with chickens in 2012 (lets face it, who cares what they think anyway?) most people are ready for a bit of uplifting news.

Give it until March when the press really start building up the big day and I honestly don't think Joe Public will be buying any more papers carrying headlines like 'Ghost estates and broken lives: the human cost of the Irish crash'.

Then there's the Olympics.

Rupert_Bear

I wish I could be more positive but I find the whole fuss about the wedding so very sickly.