Give UK the chance to opt out of Royal Family

IN his letter to the Western Mail (July 4) Ian McNicholas reiterates his passionate belief in the English (or should it be German?) Royal family. And he goes further, claiming the whole show costs us a mere £100m, or £2 per person annually.

I won’t challenge Ian’s accountancy skills but these figures look like a gross underestimate to me for running their 30 palaces and castles, to say nothing of the security, royal flights/ trains, etc.

But even if they were accurate, not everyone holds the same infatuation as he does. For instance, I believe they are the unelected feudal remnants of a past where they set themselves up and triumphed through being more brutal or devious than their rivals.

And the reason our current elite/ ruling class is so keen to keep them in place is because, if they are widely supported, the public is much less likely to advance its desire to lessen the other vast inequalities that plague our society. In other words their acceptance is a substantial barrier against social progress and a fairer world.

However, the main claim in Ian’s letter was that the whole show was only costing each of us around £2 a year, through our taxes, which he was more than happy to fork out. Even though I would dispute his figures, this line of thinking could be useful.

If he is so sure most of us would agree with him and gladly contribute, why not let the public decide when filling in tax/ benefits forms. Then we could have an opt-out box to tick, for those who, despite massive media indoctrination, do not think they are worth it, or are indeed a totally negative influence.

Denver Thomas Caerdydd