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  • Abolish the Monarchy

  • Why We Should and How We Will
  • By: Graham Smith
  • Narrated by: Sam Swann
  • Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (50 ratings)

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Abolish the Monarchy

By: Graham Smith
Narrated by: Sam Swann
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

It's wrong in principle and it doesn't work in practice. (And no, it's not good for tourism.) But it doesn't have to be this way.

They say Britain should be proud to have the mother of parliaments, a shining beacon of democracy and an example to other nations. But there's an elephant in the room.

At the heart of power is a single family. They weren't elected but they live off the public purse. They aren't accountable to anyone, and yet between them they are privy to more government secrets than many cabinet ministers. Divinely appointed using a special hat, the head of the family is your superior, you his subject. Apparently he is guardian of our constitution - but we're also told he wouldn't dream of interfering in politics.

If you accept the monarchy, you must accept the moral compromise that comes with it, from its erosion of the principle of equality to the secret interference in our laws. But the good news is that we don't have to accept it. True democracy is within our reach.

©2023 Graham Smith (P)2023 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

A crucial, riveting polemic in support of one of the most precious things humanity has built - democracy itself. (Owen Jones, author of The Establishment)
If ever you thought tradition, tourism, or political stability were good arguments for the Crown, this razor-sharp book knocks that nonsense into a top hat. Erudite Graham Smith shows what fools our rotten constitution makes of us, with a monarch as emblem of a country beset by nepotism, backhanders, chumocracy and inherited privilege. Read and rebel! (Polly Toynbee, author of An Uneasy Inheritance)
This is a very timely reminder of the constitutional absurdity of our taxpayer-funded Royal Family that is at war with itself. Whether you're in favour of abolition or a more slimmed-down monarchy in keeping with modern Britain, Graham Smith puts the case for reform eloquently and forcefully. (Robert Verkaik, author of Posh Boys)

What listeners say about Abolish the Monarchy

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    4 out of 5 stars

Not my King

I was kind of hoping this would go in a bit harder, but as it is, it’s a great statement of the current arguments against continuing with a constitutional monarchy in the UK. Good listen but I think there’s a lot more that could have been said about the money grabbing tactics of the current incumbent and his family.

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All the arguments

A great piece of work that every British Republican should read. If it doesn’t make you angry, there’s something wrong with you.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A rebuilt county starts here

Fantastic, beautifully put together, debating reasons for a monarchy against Republic.
The country needs a new direction forward, and it will simply start from the top a new head of state
Affective, head of state

Hope this happens in my lifetime

Great read well done Graham write another one.

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1 person found this helpful

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Excellent read

Excellent read throughout- the work takes a calm, reasoned position. It is well-researched and entertaining too. Recommended

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Eye opening and terrifying

Powerfully written, there is some preaching to the choir but there was more than enough beyond what's generally known.

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I WISH IT TO BE

I hope to see it in my lifetime, or better still next year: well done Graham.

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Thorough and robust enough to challenge the monarchy

Thorough and robust enough to challenge the monarchy or the idea of it anyway. S very good attempt at marking an argument against the monarchy

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Arguments for Becoming a Republican Country

An very interesting read. Arguments for UK becoming a Republic and ousting the Royal Family, who just take money and give nothing much back Patronage does not cost them anything except their time which compared to a normal working week, is a drop in the ocean. Also expels the myth that the Royals bring a lot in overseas visitors therefore money.

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Common sense facts

Everyone in UK should read this then get a vote on the future of the monarchy.

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Excellent listen

A well-reasoned and passionate rebuke of every defence of this mystical institution, and a call to action for a fairer, more democratic and more transparent system.

I was already fairly convinced, but Smith sheds alarming light, through recent political events, on quite how much unchecked power de facto trickles down to the government de jour, as well as how little the monarch actually does to keep it in check. His aspirational democratic principles stand in stark contrast to the way we are actually governed today.

The narration was superb, I often forgot that I wasn't listening to a speech from the author himself.

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