Cameron calls for Queen's power to be removed - but can't see the full picture.
So Cameron jumps on the bandwagon started by the Guardian, Independent and Clare Short and taken up before him by Gordon Brown.
He is calling on his party's new democracy taskforce, chaired by Kenneth Clarke, to "consider the use by ministers of the power of the royal prerogative".
That covers a vast range of government activity, from the appointment of bishops and the honours system to the right to go to war, sign treaties and fill many official jobs. However, Mr Cameron has asked it to focus on four specific areas: the right to
· declare war and send troops abroad;
· to make international and European treaties;
· to make appointments and award honours;
· to make major changes to the structure of government.
He has specifically ruled out changes to what he calls "the personal prerogative powers of the monarch, such as the power to dissolve parliament and appoint a prime minister". Mr Cameron is anxious to make it clear that he does not have Her Majesty in his sights, but the powers ministers now exercise on her behalf. He is not, aides insist, a closet republican. That may help to placate some traditionalist Tory backbenchers, already uneasy at the direction of the party under its new leader.
Carrying on with his policy of stealing other people's ideas and policies, Cameron's support for constitutional reform should nonetheless be welcomed. Yet he doesn't see where the further weakening of the monarchy is inevitably leading - or rather he does, it's just that he's afraid of calling for that inevitability. Yes, it's the abolition of the monarchy and creation of a republic.
Republicanism, which briefly flourished after the death of Diana has again become something of a minority issue, especially in the wake of 9/11 and the rise of more pressing issues. Yet none of the leading parties have as a policy, nor even dare talk about getting rid of the main blotch on what is becoming gradually a more equal, if not in economic terms country. That in the 21st century we still put up with having a head of state that is unanswerable to anyone, who sits for life, who swallows large amounts of taxpayers money and is born into the position is something of an anachronism. Polls often show that there is and always has been a decent sized group who would like to see the monarchy done away with, yet there are very few politicians you could name who are ardent republicans. The only one I can think of straight away is Roy Hattersley - and he's in the unelected House of Lords.
Toying around with the basics powers of the monarchy is all well and good, but what's the point? Obviously it is not something that can be done lightly, and the ramifications of such a move would be huge, but it's time we said that Queen Elizabeth the 2nd should be not only the last Elizabeth - but also the last monarch altogether, and start the planning immediately.
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