Proposed conference motion

For those of you who aren’t familiar with how our policy process works (you’re lucky, believe me), for a motion to proceed to conference for discussion, one of the routes that it can take is to be signed by twenty voting members of conference.

And that’s why I’m writing this.

While we are confident that this motion already has the twenty signatures required, extra support always helps, so if you are a member who is a voting member of conference and reading this and decide that you’d like to support this motion, please drop Karen Roberts an email on Karen.roberts@RCTlibdems.org.uk so she can sign you up in supporting this motion.

If you’re not a member, you can’t help. So tough. If you join you can though, so do that. 

Either way, you might find it an interesting read. 

Please note that there is no guarantee that this will make it to conference, it also needs to go through Conference Committee, but we’re hopeful that this will make it, as I’m sure it will create some lively debate! 

Enjoy! 

Conference notes:

1. The estimated annual cost of the monarchy is £180 million per annum, including an estimated £10 million in costs to local authorities, £15 million on the upkeep of the Royal Estate and £100 million in security costs.
2. The total bill for parliamentary salaries and expenses is around £155 million per annum.
3. That only one royal residence appears in the top twenty most visited tourist attractions in the UK, Windsor Castle, which is the 17^th most visited attraction. Legoland Windsor is 7^th.
4. That despite there being no royal based tourist attraction in Wales, Welsh taxpayers money is still used to fund the monarchy.
5. That the annual cost of an elected Head of State in comparable European countries is far lower than that of the British monarchy.
6. The current requirement for Members of the National Assembly for Wales, and Members of Parliament representing constituencies in Wales to swear allegiance to the Queen. 

Conference believes: 

1. That the monarchy does not bring any benefits to Wales, either economic or political, but costs Wales an estimated £10.6 million. It is fundamentally irrelevant to 21^st century Wales.
2. That no part of our constitution should give direct power to an unelected body. Reform of the role of the Head of State has to be a key part of democratic reform in the UK.
3. That there is a role for a Head of State, but this should be a democratically elected and accountable position. A key part of being a true democracy is that anyone who wields true political power should be there on merit and with a democratic mandate and not because their ancestors won a war.
4. That the UK has a rich enough heritage, history and culture to bring in as many tourists without the royal family, and that by opening up their estate revenue could be earned rather than spent.
5. That there should be no requirement for Members of the National Assembly for Wales, Members of Parliament representing constituencies in Wales, or indeed any other citizen living and working in Wales to swear allegiance to the monarchy.
6. That the monarchy is an outdated institution which has no relevance in a modern, liberal society where everyone is considered equal.

 Conference resolves: 

1. That the Welsh Liberal Democrats believe in the abolition of the monarchy and it’s replacement with an elected Head of State with a democratic mandate from all parts of the Union.
2. That the Welsh Liberal Democrats should put pressure on Westminster via the Welsh Assembly Government to abolish the need for its Members to swear allegiance to the monarchy ahead of the next Assembly in 2011.

Please note, this IS NOT POLICY! This is a proposed motion only!

But I hope it will be one day.

Related posts:

1. Welsh Lib Dems lead first motion for annulment of subordinate legislation in this Third Assembly by Mick Bates AM
2. University mergers proposed
3. Federal Conference Agenda Published