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Mar. 16th, 2012 04:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skull_bearerBeing a Brit, it can be rather hard to be against the royal family. The usual arguments against them are that they're a throwback to days before democracy, they cost the taxpayer millions, and are generally useless.
And while the monarchy does have some power in the UK, there's a sort of unspoken agreement between the monarchy and everyone else: the monarcy has this power and doesn't use it, and everyone else lets them keep it. The monarchy is there to look pretty, make us billions in tourist revenue, do a few diplomatic things and be trotted out for special occasions. And occasionally add their support for harmless causes (such as Prince Charles' vendetta to keep the London skyline aesthetically pleasing).
And now apparently, we're asking them to break the deal.
There's some new healthcare reforms in the UK, and they couldn't be more unpopular if they'd nominated Hitler for Prime Minister. Everyone agrees it's a phenomenally bad idea, particularly the actual healthcare providers. It's basically a way to scuttle the NHS and push people into private companies.
The population doesn't like it.
The doctors don't like it.
Hell, even the politicians don't like it, mostly because they've realised this is going to poison their party for years. There is no way in hell they'll be getting elected after this.
But the current Prime Minister has decided to make his mark, and since you can't do that by invading another country any more (it's all the rage right now), he's going to shut down his own.
So the NHS and various branches are asking the Queen to withdraw her royal assent from the bill, which has not been done in something like 200 years.
And while the monarchy does have some power in the UK, there's a sort of unspoken agreement between the monarchy and everyone else: the monarcy has this power and doesn't use it, and everyone else lets them keep it. The monarchy is there to look pretty, make us billions in tourist revenue, do a few diplomatic things and be trotted out for special occasions. And occasionally add their support for harmless causes (such as Prince Charles' vendetta to keep the London skyline aesthetically pleasing).
And now apparently, we're asking them to break the deal.
There's some new healthcare reforms in the UK, and they couldn't be more unpopular if they'd nominated Hitler for Prime Minister. Everyone agrees it's a phenomenally bad idea, particularly the actual healthcare providers. It's basically a way to scuttle the NHS and push people into private companies.
The population doesn't like it.
The doctors don't like it.
Hell, even the politicians don't like it, mostly because they've realised this is going to poison their party for years. There is no way in hell they'll be getting elected after this.
But the current Prime Minister has decided to make his mark, and since you can't do that by invading another country any more (it's all the rage right now), he's going to shut down his own.
So the NHS and various branches are asking the Queen to withdraw her royal assent from the bill, which has not been done in something like 200 years.