A contender for the head of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom said he believed some of the British public wanted a “scaled-down” monarchy and called for a referendum to end it.
Clive Lewis, 48, told a crowd in London on Friday, “I think a lot of people would like to see the monarch scaled down — there’s been a lot of talk. The monarchy is quite large, and there are a lot of people being paid by the public purse.”
“One of the things I always talk about is democracy … so why not have a referendum in this country on the future of the royal family?” he added. “We’re a democracy, I’d rather see us as citizens than subjects in the 21st century. Let’s talk about what a modern state looks like and what the role of the royal family should look like.”
In the same speech, Lewis said his own party is prone to “structural racism” and argued that his low support could be because he is black.
His call to hold a referendum to end the monarchy follows Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step back as senior members of the royal family. The pair announced the decision Wednesday, and a poll shows the British public is not happy with the couple.
A survey released Friday found that a majority of the public wants Meghan and Harry to be stripped of their titles. Three-quarters of the public said the couple should be cut off from getting more taxpayer money.
