2015 UK General Election

[Ben Davis]

In regard to royal family I did watch this video by CGPGREY titled "The True Cost of the Royal Family":
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bhyYgnhhKFw

An attempt at a reasonable fiscal analysis but it looks at things from the wrong perspective. The land is not 'their' land, it is 'our' land, all of it. They have no right (other than 'divine right') to claim ownership. Consequently, comparing the Civil List expenditure to the profits raised, from the land that the State already owns, is irrelevant. Instead it should be compared to the revenue which the Crown raises on the land it owns which should be owned by the State. Here the Civil List spend pales in to insignificance. The Crown raises ~£13.4 billion (2012 figures) in revenue that would otherwise go to the State. That's larger than the value of 'tax loophole' deficits. So the state gains ~£4 billion in tourist revenue? So what?! It loses over £9 billion in propping up an undemocratic regime. They can keep the title for all I care (like in other European countries) but they have no democratic reason to hold any power.

With the financial argument gone, I also had a problem with its demonisation of republicans. They're not all money-grabbing, heartless old lady haters. Such a misrepresentation doesn't aid his case.