Motion #06
Conference notes the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8th September 2022.
Conference acknowledges the grief of those mourning the loss of Elizabeth Windsor, particularly her friends, family, and loved ones.
Conference acknowledges the frustrations of those for whom the Queen represented the oppressive force of British colonialism, and recognises that these frustrations are being actively prevented from finding expression.
Conference regrets the overly deferential tone of Green Party messaging about the Queen put out on the Platinum Jubilee and in response to her death. It is Conference’s view that, as a Party seeking to abolish the monarchy, we should be taking every opportunity to make the case for abolition as per PA600 of PSS:
“PA600 The Green Party believes that the hereditary principle should have no place in government. Therefore the Green Party advocates that:
a. No person shall acquire the right to any office of government by inheritance. b. An hereditary peerage shall confer no right to sit in Parliament (see PA455). c. The monarchy shall cease to be an office of government. The legislative, executive and judicial roles of the monarch shall cease. d. Peers and members of the royal family shall have the same civil rights and fiscal obligations as other citizens.”
Conference notes that the former Prince of Wales has been named King Charles III, and that his coronation will be forthcoming at a date not known at the point of drafting this motion.
Given the above, Conference instructs GPEx to:
plan and execute a campaign for the abolition of the monarchy targeted at the Coronation of King Charles III, potentially in partnership with Republic develop and bring to Spring Conference 2023 for approval an external communications policy for responding to events concerning the King, the Monarchy, or the Royal Family that: avoids showing deference to the monarchy uses the situation at hand as a means of promoting GPEW policy on the monarchy as outlined in PSS is binding on all national GPEW external communications in partnership with the Association of Green Councillors, develop a model motion for Local Authorities calling for the abolition of the monarchy, and pro-actively make it available to all Green Councillors