Brits: do you want a constitution?

[Jacobtm]

Does it bother the British citizens here that you don't have a constitution, or do you think it's beneficial?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

We do have a constitution. It's just that it's an unwritten one.

[??????????]

Does it bother the British subjects.....

corrected

[Joe Republic]

Does it bother the British subjects.....

corrected

What difference does that make?

[??????????]

What difference does that make?

Well, lets' see what the dictionary defines as a "citizen" and a "subject".

sub‧ject  /n., adj. ˈsʌbdʒɪkt; v. səbˈdʒɛkt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[n., adj. suhb-jikt; v. suhb-jekt]
–noun

1. a person who is under the dominion or rule of a sovereign.
2. a person who owes allegiance to a government and lives under its protection: four subjects of Sweden.
3.    being under dominion, rule, or authority, as of a sovereign, state, or some governing power; owing allegiance or obedience (often fol. by to).

cit‧i‧zen  /ˈsɪtəzən, -sən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[sit-uh-zuhn, -suhn]
–noun
1.   a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection (distinguished from alien).
2.   an inhabitant of a city or town, esp. one entitled to its privileges or franchises.

Though the differences may seem subtle, I'd say they are quite profound.

[Joe Republic]

And like I asked you the last time you brought this up and you failed to answer, just how many Brits do you think would 'obey' if their monarch ordered them to bow down to her?

[??????????]

And like I asked you the last time you brought this up and you failed to answer, just how many Brits do you think would 'obey' if their monarch ordered them to bow down to her?

I imagine quite a few would. I doubt Al would, he's a bit of a maverick like that...this boards demographics are in no way at all indicative of the real world.

[Joe Republic]

And like I asked you the last time you brought this up and you failed to answer, just how many Brits do you think would 'obey' if their monarch ordered them to bow down to her?

I imagine quite a few would. I doubt Al would, he's a bit of a maverick like that...this boards demographics are in no way at all indicative of the real world.

I'd disagree strongly.  Few Brits these days would actually listen if she decided to try and exercize any real power whatsoever.  However, since neither of us are British and we both lack any kind of evidence, this isn't the kind of argument that is likely to go anywhere.

However, how many Americans do you think would bow down if for some reason the President ordered them to?  For the sake of argument, let's assume that it'd be a more popular one.

[Michael Z]

And like I asked you the last time you brought this up and you failed to answer, just how many Brits do you think would 'obey' if their monarch ordered them to bow down to her?

I imagine quite a few would. I doubt Al would, he's a bit of a maverick like that...this boards demographics are in no way at all indicative of the real world.

Most people I know don't want a written constitution. Either that or they don't really care. Things are working fine as they are, why have one? This country has been doing fine (well, more or less) for a couple of millenia without it.

Notwithstanding that there are documents, such as the Magna Carta and the EU Human Rights charter, which basically function as unofficial constitutions. And if we had an official one, we'd probably just ignore it.

[merseysider]

We've managed for about a thousand years now without one; we can probably manage another thousand.

I fear that a written constitution would be used by the human rights brigade and the chattering classes (and their counterparts on the rabid right) to get the Courts and the Judges to do what they haven't got enough support to achieve through the ballot box.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I think it shows how antiquated States' thinking is rather than any of us who are citizens in modern constitutional monarchies.

We know the Monarch has no power - she's a figurehead and rather than a symbol of tyranny etc etc wank wank - she's a figure of apolitical continuity.