Alex Salmond - Republican?

Aventinian · Alex Salmond - Republican?

With Alex Salmond having his first audience with the Queen today, it set me to wondering whether or not he was himself a Republican or Monarchist.

He seems rather coy on the front, and I've never heard him say anything more on the matter than the official party line of 'let the people decide when we're independent'.

As I understand it, he was significant in the 79 Movement, which got him expelled from the SNP some time back, and that they were in theory Republican and Socialist.

Any thoughts?

mairead

Until Scotland is independent, our politicians like the rest of us have to make do. I would not see him talking to Brenda as any indication of his feelings re Republican or Monarchist

carol

SNP's position on this

(personally the sooner the UK has a referendum on this the better, do we have to wait until we're independent?)

http://www.snp.org/independence/questions/constitution/queen

Will the Queen still be Head of State?
The Queen and her successors will remain Head of State, in the way that she is presently Head of State in fifteen other independent Commonwealth countries. If, in the future, the people of Scotland wished to change these arrangements, they would be free to do so by amending the constitution through a referendum, and it is the SNP’s policy that the issue should be tested by such a referendum once Independence is fully in effect. Ultimately, the decision rests with the people of Scotland.

The constitution which the SNP favours will define the powers of the Monarch, removing a number of her present powers, though she will still confirm Parliament’s nomination of a Prime Minister.

The Queen, in her Scottish capacity, will be constitutionally barred from acting on the advice of her Westminster Ministers.

The Scottish Government will only make such payments as cover the cost of the Queen’s official engagements while she is acting as Scottish Head of State, and will make no contribution to the upkeep of other members of the Royal Family. The intention would be for the Monarch in Scotland to have a more informal role than has traditionally been the case in the UK.

During periods of absence by the Monarch, the SNP proposes that she be represented by the Chancellor of Scotland, an officer appointed by Parliament, whose role would also encompass that of Parliament’s Presiding Officer.

Aventinian

I was really thinking more in terms of Salmond's views personally than the SNP's position or what he is required by his position to say.

carol

could be under the circumstances he may just keep his views to himself, has you wondering though

just as a pointer from the SNP circles I move in I know of at least 2 monarchists I wouldn't think that there would be many in the party

Carol

FALSYDE · SALMOND - REPUBLICAN OR MONARCHIST

Can't speak for the man but personally the very idea of a President Blair or President McConnell is risible in the extreme and frightens me to death. With a constitutional monarchy - cut down version, al la Norway and Scotland of old, would be just the ticket.

An interesting point worth mentioning. When Blair decided to throw in his/our lot with Shrub he instructed the military top brass to that effect. When they demurred, he got on his high horse and reminded them he was the PM and they were expected to do as he instructed. They then quite bluntly pointed out that their loyalty was to the Crown NOT the government!!!!!! Further more their concerns about the legality were such that they told him there was no way they were going to risk being charged as war criminals and therefor if he wanted action, then first he had to produce a legal binding justification before they would. Dodgy or not they got just that.

A constitutional monarchy is an excellent 'stop' against dubious politicians getting above themselves. A handy reminder to them that they may come and they will also go but the Crown provides national continuity while the rascals get their come uppance at the ballot box.

Nae change thank you!

Dave Coull

One of the reasons why Australia voted against abolishing the monarchy was because the alternative on offer in their referendum was a republic without direct presidential elections, in which the politicians would elect the president. I would have voted against that myself, and I'm no monarchist. Falsyde wrote "the very idea of a President Blair or President McConnell is risible in the extreme and frightens me to death" - but if we had a genuinely open presidential contest, not the Big-Money-Buys-The-Presidency type they have in the USA, and not the politicians-doing-deals type they were offered in Australia, I don't think either of them would stand the slightest chance of being elected in a presidential election here in Scotland. Maybe we would end up with President Sean Connery, but I think his staying in tax exile all those years would count against him. At one time Tommy Sheridan might have been in with a chance, but definitely not now. I think a genuinely open contest would produce some surprise candidates, and I think, if Scotland became a republic, and if there was a genuinely open contest, then the people of Scotland would in fact elect somebody far more suitable than any of the possibilities we have mentioned so far.

Aventinian

Holebender

carol

hadn't thought about it that way Neil, although think there would be more logic on a UK scale. Hey the UK could ditch the Royals and a Scottish referendum after independence could be held to decide whether to bring them back Razz

Carol

Maol.Chaluim

We should go for independence first, and worry about the rest later.

Hang on a minute...

carol

MC hey the UK might not want to hang on though don't know what statistics are but remember seeing a programme a while ago and the monarchy was not high in the popularity stakes, think over 50% wanted them removed

Carol

Rinty

The SNPs position is clearly that they dont have a position on it.

Saying that we will have a referendum without saying what side of the referendum the party would be on is alien to every other question of a referendum on every other subject.

I have never understood why the SNP havent found the courage to establish a party policy on the monarchy.

On the other hand, Salmond is first minister and has to carry out the duties asked of him. If he was a back bench MSP he could boycott meetings with the queen but as first minister it wouldnt do anyone any good.

agentmancuso

Avatar

I would imagine he is a republican, but no doubt keeping his thoughts to himself to avoid alienating monarchists within his own party and the electorate at large.

Aventinian

kevin04

Moving onwards, how many on here are pro-monarchy? I'm a snp voter and would like to see a Scottish Republic.

Aventinian

I'm generally fairly monarchist. At one point in the past I fancied a British republic, but then I gained a healthy contempt for democracy.

VLK

Someone has said very funnily about monarchy that it does not work in theory but it works in practice. Indeed, the reason why so many modern countries have chosen to remain monarchies has something to do with people`s reluctance to give too much power to politicians. A Prime Minister like the British PM can have very presidential powers but Parliament can kick him out any day. There is a fine balance.

Monarchy, however, must have some traditions. No country today would establish monarchy. Every now and then someone in Ireland suggests that the Irish system of presidency is not working and Ireland should rejoin the Commonwealth and accept the British Monarch as Head of State like Australia, Canada and NZ. Such proposals always get shot down and laughed at and would never in a million years be passed in a referendum.

Rinty

"so many modern countries have chosen to remain monarchies"

Have they? Only 46 countries have a monarch as the head of state and some of those "modern" countries include the Vatican, Suadia Aarabia, Brunei.

It has been largely rejected by all but the most traditional of societies.

Of course a republic is no guarantee that we would see elections for the office of head of state. I dont see a need to transfer powers to a president, just elect someone to represent britain (or preferably scotland) and have enough confidence to stop doffing the cap to our "betters".

VLK

Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Holland, Britain, Belgium etc. Are these not modern countries?

In fact, in the European countries with monarchy, the support for that form of government is over 80%.

skip

if there was a vote i would probably support a republican alternative. however, i am not sufficiently aroused by the subject to go out and campaign about it. i could live with the current set-up if need be.

I am surprised nobody has pressed alex salmond more on the subject. My guess is that he wouldn't campaign either way and would just accept the verdict of the people with a free-vote for all. I think he would at least want a modern, slimmed down monarchy.

Holebender

Every time you add a policy to a party's manifesto you alienate somebody. Why would the SNP seek to alienate pro-independence monarchists when they can keep them on side by remaining neutral and promising a referendum at some time in the future?

The SNP would do itself a big favour if it took a similar stance on the EU, i.e. became neutral but promised a referendum on membership after independence.

FreedomNow

I'd definately hope that we'd become a Republic rather than be free from the government but still a posession of the monarchy. It would seem a bit strange to be free and not a republic IMO.

Holebender

I also want Scotland to be a republic but I see no point in alienating pro-independence monarchists by adopting an unnecessary republican policy when a referendum will do the job.

FreedomNow

I also think that such a decision will have to be made after independence.

Rinty

"Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Holland, Britain, Belgium etc. Are these not modern countries?"

Yes but when did those countries choose to remain a monarchy as you claim many modern countries are doing? Only Norway that I can remember have put this to a vote.

And, even if the countries are modern, all of them have the monarch as head of state fron before they had elected parliaments of the people so the concept of the contitutional monarchy in these countries is hardly modern.

I am sure there are more examples of countries that you can cite as both modern and monarchies, but they will be outweighed by archaic monarchies and outnumbered 4 to 1 by countries who are republics.

Alex Salmond - Republican?

SALMOND - REPUBLICAN OR MONARCHIST