Oath of Allegiance

[whiffey]

BBC headline news is carrying the story that school leavers should be encouraged to take an oath of allegiance to the Queen

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7287984 .stm

The same bulletin on Radio 4 has another item, expressing concern over the number of pupils leaving school early, probably for arranged marriages.

What a rich irony, ha ha ha, it's 50 years too late mates, you can't bring back Britain, it's too far submerged under 'multi-cultural' political correctness.

[weeal]

morning whiffey

thats just crazy nobody knows what British is any more

[jake-the-peg]

It's an offensive sugestion and we all know it'll never happen.


Lord Goldsmith has clearly lost the plot

[Kromovaracun]

Britain hasn't been 'submerged'.

I have to say it is a rather pointless idea. Personally I think it belies a sense of national insecurity....

[Kromovaracun]

probably for arranged marriages

Ah. 'Probably'. It must be nice having the freedom to make totally unsupported assertions like that.

[4GS]

That idea is THE most ridiculous yet from a discredited desperate bunch of no-hoper's ever to govern our country.

Besides, it will never work

[Theland]

Anything said about any penalties for refusing to participate?

[nedflanders]

I would pledge allegiance to the union flag, just to get it up all the sniping pc lefties!

[4GS]

If I were a teenager I would refuse to take part, I'm a republican, I don't see why I should cow-tow to someone who is in that position due to an accident of birth.
If anything they should propose a pledge of allegiance to the country, not the monarchy

[Gromit]

Why are school leavers being singled out for this stupid unworkable and pointless exercise. If Lord Goldsmith thinks tis is good for 'social cohesion' (whatever that might be) then surely everybody must swear allegiance to the Saxe-Coburg clan.

If they tagged a bank holiday to it and called it 'Allegiance Day' then it would get the tabloids seal of approval and be unstoppable. Fun events to be performed for 'Brown Nose Day' could include:

� The burning of effigies of Mohamed Al Fayed on socially cohesive bonfires.
� Communal denunciation of w�ps, dag�s fuzzy wuzzys and all other non brits from a special tract prepare for the purpose by Phil the Greek.
� An annual edition of 'It's a Knockout' so Edward can prance around in tights without arousing suspicion.
� A proclaimation of British tolerance, and six months gulag for anyone who doesn't join in.

Lets put the Gr8 back into Gr8 Britain!

[jake-the-peg]

This is a prime example of what Dr. Johnson had in mind when he said patriotism is the "last resort of the scoundrel"

Congrats Whiffey, can't remember the last question on here to unite left and right wingers.

Even if it's just because we are seeing it from slightly different perspectives

[I.Don No]

just a small point but a valid one........this is a monarchy. therefore, we are subjects and not citizens.

How could this idea really work....surely who you pledge any allegiance to is a matter of personal conscience and not something the government should be trying to brainwash people with.

As I stated in another thread, this government has completely lost its way!

[ghetto poet]

This idea is disgusting. You would not catch me pledging eligence to no stinking queen.

[whiffey]

Here is a link for the arranged marriages thingy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7288952.stm

[jake-the-peg]

Small point Whiffey

I think you mean forced marriages not arranged ones?

The foreign office set up a forced marriages unit in 2000 to tackle these sorts of cases

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=O penMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=109423 4857863

This is exactly the sort of thing that human rights law is there to prevent.

That'd be the human rights laws that so many on here want to see scrapped

[Ripley58]

I agree with 4GS. How can a loyal, republican minded individual be expected to swear an oath of allegiance to a monarch. I would rather see flags raised on all public buildings, including schools. If children see the flag raised every day, hopefully they will all come to accept it as theirs, regardless of their cultural background.

[Theland]

The office of, "Monarch," is no bad thing as long as the holder and immediate family keep quiet on politically sensitive issues.
I doubt if having a president would come any cheaper, and would be just as lavish, and there is the added benefit of the monarch being above politics.
Having said that, the Irish model has some merit, where the president is a figurehead, and real power lies with the prime minister, (Toisich? Towcheech? I give up!)

[Kromovaracun]

Actually, having a President is a lot more expensive. Plus the Queen actually brings in plenty of cash, also (through tourism and also royal estates paying up outweighs the money they cost).

I don't think we've ever had a civilian oath to the Queen (outside perhaps of MPs or civil servants). Why on earth should we start now?

[jno]

quite right, 4GS. I can't see why people shouldn't swear allegiance to the country - but to the queen in person? Americans pledge allegiance to the flag and the country it represents, not to George W Bush. I have no particular hate for the monarchy, though if they went the way of the Romanovs I suppose I could cope, but to imagine the queen IS the country is just medieval piffle.

[jake-the-peg]

Well Kromovaracun If we're deciding our constitutional arrangements on a financial basis we could make it cheaper still by getting the queen sponsored.

The Crown could be in the form of the McDonalds logo!

Or maybe we should just decide based on what's best and most forward looking for the country as a whole!