Is it time to reconsider the monarchy in the UK?

Buckingham Palace - time to convert to affordable apartments or demolish to make way for much needed housing?

Catching up on news back home in the UK it’s good to see that Prince Philip is doing well and has now returned to his family. His illness is a reminder that both he and the Queen are getting older and their reign may soon come to an end. The Queen and the Prince have been wonderful and committed monarchs for Britain – a real asset – but is it time to bring an end to the monarchy once the Queen ends her reign?

Are views about the monarchy changing?

Ten years ago – even 5 years ago – I would not have even contemplated that there was a need to end the monarchy but things have changed substantially in the last 5 years. The UK is now in the position of not being able to afford to house its young people.

The Crown Estates sits on a property portfolio of £7.3 billion.

People under 35 who are working on minimum wages or working part-time because there are few full-time jobs available are being effectively forced into living in dormitory conditions. They are unable to afford record levels of rents with their low incomes and the government cannot afford to pay more than ‘room only’ in shared accommodation in housing benefits.

Young people committed to dormitory style living while one family live in luxury.

When the country can not afford to give the dignity of affordable accommodation to its young generation can it really afford to keep 1 family in substantial levels of comfort and luxury. Are we really able to afford to give one family vast tracts of land across the country and numerous large castles and mansion houses?

There comes times in every country’s history when momentous decision and changes in direction needs to be made. There is a very real economic and political argument to be made for abolishing the monarchy after the current Queen dies.

Time for the British to become citizen and not stay as subjects.

Apart from people in Britain growing up and joining the 21st Century as real citizens rather than subjects to be led like sheep by a landed gentry the abolition of the monarchy would release vast amounts of resources for people and allow the country to offer the next generation a hope in the future.

It’s not just the £32 million a year in savings from the Civil List and Grants in Aid that can be diverted towards housing the generation without hope of a home of their own that will be realised. The Crown Estates sits on a property portfolio of £7.3 billion. That’s billions not millions. At the moment that portfolio can not be sold because it is owned by the monarchy. While the Queen takes no profits from the Crown Estates and has no say in its running the monarchy still owns the property and land.

Vast amounts of land will be released with abolition of monarchy.

With the monarch abolished the land can be released and sold back to the people at rates to allow affordable housing developments. Ways to dispose of the property to prevent it being bought up and hoarded by developers will need to be devised but that should be easy enough to do. Lets not forget that the land was stolen from the people during periods such as the time of the Enclosures – so the ‘peasants’ really should have first option on the land being released.

But it’s not just the Crown Estates that will be released. There’s also the land and property of the Duchy of Lancaster and Duchy of Cornwall that can be released back to the public. These provide the monarchy with their personal wealth and income. In 2011 the land and property of the Duchy of Lancaster was valued at almost £350 million meanwhile the value of land and property of the Duchy of Cornwall was put at £696 million.

A lasting legacy for the future.

Hundreds of thousands of acres of land could be brought to the marketplace with the abolition of the monarchy, driving down land prices and in turn housing costs. What better legacy can be left to future generations than modern energy-efficient affordable homes for all.

It’s a legacy that would be be much better than the current legacy of expensive, poor quality, no security accommodation that the baby-boomers are currently putting in place for their children and grand-children to inherit.