Right Royal Reshuffle. Poem by guy lipmore

Pageants, privileges, pomp of royalty,
Have no relevance to most, me and my family.
Doesn’t help pay my electric, gas and water bills,
Their visits, holiday exploits, give me no thrills
In this fifth year of ‘double dip’ recessions,
Don’t see them offering any concessions.
They are immune to cuts of austerity,
Silver spoons, platters, courteous of their ancestry.
They don’t have to tighten their belt,
For them the recession doesn’t have to be felt.
Out of touch, but they’ve never been in,
From their ‘bottom’ to the top ‘sovereign.’
Not their fault some say, they’re still aloof and exempt,
It just perpetuates the ‘elite’ and utter contempt.

Queen and country, monarchy, figure head,
Antiquated, it should be ‘remodelled’ instead.
Let them keep palaces and castles at the very best,
But totally abolish the civil list.
Only her majesty and Philip apparently,
Are on the civil list paid by the treasury.
What about the rest of her ‘extended’ family?
Are they ‘independent’ from tax payer’s money?
Buckingham palace takes thirty odd million to operate,
But over fifty million, it does generate.
Maybe the most popular asset,
What about the upkeep of the rest?
Do the public pay for upkeep of all these estates?
Along with council tax and all utility rates?
There seems to be lack of transparency,
What is known, Is it shrouded in secrecy?

They should all be ‘self employed‘, to self finance,
Along with all the ‘hangers on’ and dependents.
Business for royals generate a vast income,
Total self reliance wouldn’t be a problem!
They’d be accountable to pay tax on all revenue,
Just like taxes paid from me and you!
After all, millions of pounds they are worth,
Not bad for accidents of birth!

Not a case of proposing a republic,
There again, let the people vote on It.!
Of course that will never be done,
Not a ‘cat in hell’ chance of a referendum.
Total removal, I wouldn’t advocate,
Not asking for the Queen to abdicate.
Though it wouldn’t bring me any sorrow,

If there was no royalty tomorrow.
No I wouldn’t batter an eyelid,
If they were gone and our society were rid!

Furthermore in a democratic and modern society,
We shouldn’t pay or subsidise an historic hierarchy.
Keeping them in their life of accustomed luxury,
When all around there is hardship, cuts and ‘child poverty! ’

P 15/03/13