RuamRudy

Yes, that's the basic premise of democracy.

I am not in the SNP so not mine, if you please - and this thread is not about them.

Well, if we had a proper democracy in the UK and I chose to stand as president, you would have the opportunity to vote for me, or an alternative. However currently you have no say whatsoever on your head of state.

Quite possibly, but the point is that there would be a mechanism to remove this elected head of state.

No, as I wrote in the post, I copied it from the website of Republic - click on the underlined heading and it will take you directly to the page.

This is lifted from the website of Republic - what is the flaw you see in their reasoning? Why do we want a republic? It's simple: Hereditary public office goes against every democratic principle. And because we can’t hold the King and his family to account at the ballot box, there’s nothing to stop them abusing their privilege, misusing their influence or simply wasting our money. Meanwhile, the monarchy gives vast arbitrary power to the government, shutting voters out from major decisions affecting the national interest. The King can only ever act in the interests of the government of the day and does not represent ordinary voters. The monarchy is a broken institution. A head of state that’s chosen by us could really represent our hopes and aspirations – and help us keep politicians in check.

40% of the vote equalling an 80 seat majority doesn't sound like democracy to me.

An obvious one to start with would be to take us back into the EU and help all those thousands of businesses that have been damaged but the stupidity of brexit, but sadly Labour seem deaf to that idea.

Maybe that will be the time Humza goes from useless to useful...

But look at the absolute disaster that has befallen the UK since Cameron took office. 13 years of Tory corruption, theft and incompetence has wreaked havoc across the UK. Do you really think people will look at the Tories with anything other than contempt?

Not my business - I would prefer he took the more principled stand of Adam Price, but nothing I can do about it.

A minority, it would seem: Most people are not interested in the King’s coronation, major new poll shows "Most British people are not interested in the King’s coronation, though many said they would still watch it or take part in related festivities, according to a YouGov poll."

That is hardly the most flattering of photos though - she looks positively sneering and supercilious in it.

No protester used a rape alarm to disrupt anything yesterday. The Met, however, decided to stifle freedom of speech by creating fictitious claims to remove anyone who wasn't toeing the sycophant line. With the increased number of met officers in town yesterday,I can understand why women were carrying rape alarms.

Nobody disrupted anything. There was no abuse and any offence taken is solely based upon the prejudiced scenarios you have created in your head in an effort to suit the narrative that you want to see.

We have an unelected head of state whom we cannot remove, and a government with an 80 seat majority despite only securing 40% of the votes at the last general election. So yes, I am suggesting that the UK is not democratic. Democracy is not a relative concept.

Jealous? Well of course it's not you, but you willingness to laugh it off and ignore it is bewildering.

Unfortunately democracy and equality won't come to the UK any time soon. On the one hand we have a ruling elite who are so corrupt that they can't afford to lose their grip on power, and on the other hand we have a significant number of people who are quite happy to live on their knees, and happy for their descendants to follow suit. One of Britain's richest men inherits billions and avoids paying inheritance taxes

How does that sum up anyone? Your conventions are not the only conventions nor are they the 'right' conventions.

Please try to stick to the topic. This is nothing about the SNP or Scottish independence. This is about your championing the removal of the right to free speech. Many good people fought and died so that we could have that right but you want to give it away.

Your eagerness to give away the hard won rights and freedoms that your forefathers fought for, and in many cases, died for, is truly depressing. If you define those of us who want to uphold the right to freedom of speech as anti British then so be it, but that is definitely a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

But we are talking about the right to freedom of speech being removed by a right wing government and being enacted upon by a disgraced and untrusted police force.

I didn't ignore it - I asked for clarification. What are straps? How are they defined?

Then to which straps are you referring? The banners were held together with string. What else is so scary to the state?

Tell me where the selective reading is. Be specific because frequently, when you are challenged, you fall back on this device.