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> a new group who are there to just enrich themselves. The UK’s been ruled by a relatively small hereditary aristocracy for, what, 1,000 years? A self-interest

> a new group who are there to just enrich themselves. The UK’s been ruled by a relatively small hereditary aristocracy for, what, 1,000 years? A self-interested political class is hardly a new phenomenon there.

lisper 4y ago
The UK has a hereditary aristocracy, but it has been several centuries since it actually ruled the country.
- elbigbad 4y ago
  And there is a big difference between a hereditary aristocracy and a government of people who are just interested in enriching themselves.
- ivarv 4y ago
  The 'Queen's consent' is more of a political lever than is typically acknowledged. See https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/08/queen-power-british-law-queens-consent https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/08/queen-...
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - lisper 4y ago
    Well, that's interesting. I had no idea. I was about to say: yes, the queen nominally has this power, but she famously never uses it. Except that apparently she does. TIL. Still, all of the examples of her meddling are in laws that apply to the royal family. There aren't any (known) examples of her putting her thumb on the scales of public policy. Not that that makes it a whole lot better, but it still falls short IMHO of "ruling the country." I think she knows that if she tried to do that it would be the end of the monarchy.
- scaramanga 4y ago
  The hereditary aristocracy may be just a component of the ruling class, but they are a still a significant one, and it's one which the Tory party represents. On the flip side, David Camerons grandfather was a recipient of slavery reparations which indebted the country for 150 years but created inter-generational wealth for a small elite of merchants, slave traders and the like. So he may not be a hereditary lord, but it's not exactly a far cry from it, either.
- kapuasuite 4y ago
  Land ownership, for example, is highly concentrated with the aristocracy/gentry. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/money/2019/apr/17/who-owns-england-thousand-secret-landowners-author https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/money/2019/...

lisper 4y ago

The UK has a hereditary aristocracy, but it has been several centuries since it actually ruled the country.

elbigbad 4y ago
And there is a big difference between a hereditary aristocracy and a government of people who are just interested in enriching themselves.
ivarv 4y ago
The 'Queen's consent' is more of a political lever than is typically acknowledged. See https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/08/queen-power-british-law-queens-consent https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/08/queen-...
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- lisper 4y ago
  Well, that's interesting. I had no idea. I was about to say: yes, the queen nominally has this power, but she famously never uses it. Except that apparently she does. TIL. Still, all of the examples of her meddling are in laws that apply to the royal family. There aren't any (known) examples of her putting her thumb on the scales of public policy. Not that that makes it a whole lot better, but it still falls short IMHO of "ruling the country." I think she knows that if she tried to do that it would be the end of the monarchy.
scaramanga 4y ago
The hereditary aristocracy may be just a component of the ruling class, but they are a still a significant one, and it's one which the Tory party represents. On the flip side, David Camerons grandfather was a recipient of slavery reparations which indebted the country for 150 years but created inter-generational wealth for a small elite of merchants, slave traders and the like. So he may not be a hereditary lord, but it's not exactly a far cry from it, either.
kapuasuite 4y ago
Land ownership, for example, is highly concentrated with the aristocracy/gentry. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/money/2019/apr/17/who-owns-england-thousand-secret-landowners-author https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/money/2019/...