GRAHAM SMITH

A crucial riveting polemic in support of one of the most precious things humanity has built democracy itself OWEN JONES Graham Smith shows what fools our rotten constitution makes of us with a monarch as emblem of a country beset by nepotism backhanders chumocracy and inherited privilege Read and rebel POLLY TOYNBEEWe re constantly told the same things about the monarchy But the monarchy is good for tourism It isn t Evidence points to some royal weddings actually having a negative impact on inbound tourism But the monarchy makes a big difference to charity Of the approx 1 200 charities with a royal patron 74 had no contact with their patron during the preceding year But everyone loves the monarchy A January 2023 poll showed support for the monarchy is down 55 percent It s wrong in principle and it doesn t work in practice It doesn t have to be this way They say Britain should be proud to have the mother of parliaments to be a shining beacon of democracy and an example to other nations But there s an elephant in the room At the heart of power is a single family They weren t elected but they live off the public purse They aren t accountable to anyone and yet between them they are privy to more government secrets than many cabinet ministers