It’s time to scrap the monarchy here, too

● It will be interesting to see how the BBC’s new drama, A Very British Scandal, transforms Margaret, Duchess of Argyll, from a “scandal-bucket brimming with bad manners and rich white privilege” into a “feminist icon for our times”, says Jan Moir in the Daily Mail. The duchess, played by Claire Foy (right), was no stranger to scandal, falling pregnant at 15 by an 18-year-old David Niven. She was engaged to a penniless earl, a married millionaire and Lord Beaverbrook’s son, before marrying US businessman Charles Sweeney. During their divorce after 14 years, infamous photos were produced, and it was claimed she had more than 80 lovers. The judge said she was a “promiscuous woman whose sexual appetite could only be satisfied with a number of men”. Well, “if that is a crime, then everyone from Madonna to Diana should be banged up” .

● “I was green with envy as Barbadians held a massive shindig to celebrate becoming a republic,” says Brian Reade in the Daily Mirror. Prince Charles, who was at the ceremony, will be as pointless as king as the valet he pays to put toothpaste on his brush. Britain, too, should become a republic. Think of the £350m a year we would save. As for the Sussexes of Montecito, California, they have “as much claim on Sussex as my Romanian rescue dog”, while the House of Windsor is nothing but “a backbiting bitchfest where everyone spins and lies”. So “when the Good Ship Lizzie sails into the sunset”, why not let the royals, to paraphrase the title of the “Montecito miserabilists’” biography, “find freedom”? Permanently.”

● If I knew my children were in trouble, I would not hesitate to do whatever I could to help them, says Karren Brady in The Sun on Sunday, which is why it’s so depressing that there is a new fraud that exploits parental love. Called “Hello Mum” and “Hello Dad” frauds, scammers text a random number, claiming to be a needy son or daughter. They say they’ve lost their phone, they’re texting from a friend’s phone and they need money for a new device or to pay a bill. “Most of us would drop everything, right?” We all like to think we wouldn’t be fooled, but even educated, sensible people have had thousands stolen. “I am sorry to say that my new approach is that we must all presume that everything is a scam unless you know for sure otherwise.”