Westminster Diary - 30th November

Thursday, 30th November 2006

The Queen’s Speech at the beginning of a Parliamentary session is in many ways an odd event. The display of Royal authority in gold and ermine is balanced by the fact that, although the Queen reads the speech, it is the politicians in the government who write it. The Queen decrees that her government will take certain action because her government has told her it will do so, not the other way round. It may seem odd, but to me it signifies the true value of monarchy in this country. Political power rests in the hands of elected politicians, as it should, but the Prime Minister is Head of Government, not Head of State. This means that regardless of our political opinions, all British citizens can unite around the monarch as a non-partisan representative of our nation. In an increasingly fragmented society, I think that is particularly valuable. Other countries combine the roles of Head of State and Head of Government in one elected individual – the United States being the prime example. When, as now, the President of the Unites States provokes strong negative feeling among many Americans, it can be difficult for these Americans to accept a politician with whom they profoundly disagree as the personification of their national pride. I prefer a non-political Head of State.

Also, we share our monarch with several commonwealth countries, where she is also Head of State. The importance of our relationships with these commonwealth states is often understated in my view and those relationships can only be strengthened by having a monarch in common.

So I am a monarchist for practical as well as sentimental reasons. I enjoy the spectacle of the Queen’s Speech and I welcome its symbolism.

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Updated on Thursday, 30th November 2006