William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay Men
 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today rejected a plea to get involved in a campaign to pardon tens of thousands of gay men convicted alongside Imitation Game codebreaker Alan Turing.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Stephen Fry are among campaigners who have signed an open letter asking the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to support the campaign, which has reached 73,000 signatures online.

Full Story Here......
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015...n_6585050.html

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

Such a pardon would require government, possibly also parliamentary action. William is a future king and must therefore be very wary of doing anything in public that can be construed as influencing political process. Not that you'd expect the instant gratification, 140 characters or bust, Twitter-hogging generation to understand anything as nuanced as that.

William and Kate are not transient reality TV slebs. They have a role in our constitution and are simply fulfilling it.

Nowt to see here.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

I, on the other hand, have pardoned many gay men. When they've asked me to.

All depends on where you choose to spend your evenings.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

Turing had a Royal Pardon...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25495315

If the head of state now can look like they are influencing political progress and Prince Charles who has stated his support for gay rights many times and counts Stephen Fry amoungst close friends that even attending his wedding why cant Will and Kate?

If will is afraid to show support for minority groups then i think that as king he is going to be useless. Harry on the other hand also has stated he supports gay rights and even while serving in the Army saved a gay officer from a beating telling the officers to back the **** off or he will make a report.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

From your link:

In other words it was the government that moved on it, not the Queen. Most of the royal prerogatives are actually exercised by government ministers these days - or by the queen, "on advice".

Also, having gay friends or speaking in general terms in favour of equality isn't the same as lobbying the government on a specific item of business. William has acted perfectly correctly.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

:tu:

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

I would be very happy if William and Kate were to continue to respect the barrier between them and the democratically elected government in this manner.

It'd make a nice change from the meddling of William's father.

Kudos to them for doing what is right over what would, obviously, be popular.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

A pardon has SFA to do with Wills & Kate, so why is the press making a big thing of this.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

Whilst supporting the drive to pardon these people, I'm somewhat uneasy with the vilifying of anybody, be they royals or otherwise, just because they haven't come rushing forwards with support.

It should be because you genuinely believe these people were wronged and should be pardoned rather than jumping on a populist bandwagon or because you fear the baying mass media.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

With you 100% on that. :tu:

There's rather too much 'media MaCarthyism' going on these days.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

I'd rather have a future king that does what he believes in rather then what is popular.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

I rather not have any Royals...

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

Yes, let's replace them with an elected non-executive head of state like Ireland. Just think of all the washed-up slebs and fading politicians who would queue up to get our vote.

Better still, let's have an executive president like the USA or France. There's nothing quite like having a divisive political figure to represent us on all those occasions when we're supposed to be united as a nation. Think Gideon Osborne getting booed while giving out Olympic medals.

Our constitution is strange and ancient but it works. All the power that needs to be in elected hands, already is - including the power to make this country a republic if that becomes desirable at some future point.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

What this man said.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

If we can keep the royals in their ceremonial role, but purely ceremonial, and have a single elected executive that works even better for me. I'm sure some legal chicanery could make it happen.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

No thanks..The examples across the world of an elected representative head shows that it's not always an ideal solution.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

Why have a head of state, when we have an elected Parliament.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

Because sending 600 people to open a motorway extension might be a tad overboard...

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

And look at the mess they make

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

The problem there is of course when a King believe its his job to rule rather than politicians...

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

Well we have Magna Carta and subsequent documents to thank for limiting what monarchs can do in this country.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

Then we had good old Oliver Cromwell who chopped the buggers head off for being a traitor to his own people by trying to get an Irish army to put us in or place.

Re: William And Kate Decline To Support Benedict Cumberbatch's Campaign To Pardon Gay
 

It would, but based on past experience, the BBC would probably send 600 to cover it..

I think there are advantages and disadvantages to having non elected heads of state. Although I don't think our queen has any real power beyond advising politicians, we could, in theory, need her to ask the government to so something that will (for whatever reason) not be popular. An elected head of state may not be willing to do that.

On the other hand, an unelected head of state may try and dissolve the government and install themselves as a dictator. Something I would hope our constitution would prevent.