Thursday 29 March 2012

Prince of Thieves

From The Daily Mail:

The influence the Prince of Wales wields over government legislation has been revealed in newly released documents. The papers shed light for the first time on the customary routine by which the Prince is consulted on Bills that may affect his estate, before they are debated in Parliament...

The response reveals the level of power the Prince appears to wield in matters of legislation and appears to suggest he sees his role as going further than that envisaged by ministers. Ministers have been forced to seek permission from Prince Charles before passing laws in at least a dozen separate areas during the past five years, from road safety and energy reforms to gambling and planning.

The requirement stems from a little-known constitutional right for the prince to effectively veto legislation in areas which might affect his private [sic] interests.

3 comments:

Kj said...

As quid pro quo for slapping LVT on the estates of the royal family, the civil list should be converted into a 0,001% or so share of LVT revenue, then they have an incentive to maintain the system.

Bayard said...

Typical Daily Mail: "Is the Prince of Wales the ultimate Nimby?" is the headline, yet in the text below they fail to come up with a single example of him intervening in a building or planning matter that affects his estate.
I wonder how much legislation Rupert Murdoch has (unofficially) been consulted about?

Dr Evil said...

I have a constitutional right to own a gun and bear arms as in the Bill of Rights, 1689. But I cannot buy a handgun. They have been banned. This is uncostitutional. But how far will I get with this argument in a gun shop or a court of law?