Brown pushes for Royal line of succession law reform

[Yammitor]

THey slowly change the laws and structure of a country so that it becomes an alien nation to its own people.
Why are laws being changed to the open the door for the Jewish tradition where the line of desent passes from female to female.

I suppose, i am just old fashioned and not brainwashed enough. I am out of place and behind the times in this politically correct paradise, after all we men and women are perfectly EQUAL in all ways so we have been told so whats the harm eh ?  :roll:

Brown to push for law reform so male heirs no longer have priority in Royal line of succession
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ssion.html
By James Chapman
Last updated at 8:54 AM on 26th November 2009

The law that gives male heirs priority in the royal line of succession could be swept away because of fears of a crisis if Prince William's first child is a girl.

Gordon Brown is to push for reform of the 1701 Act of Settlement, which established the succession rules and also bars members of the Royal Family from marrying Roman Catholics.

The Prime Minister, who said yesterday the law was outdated and in need of an overhaul, will raise the issue at the summit of Commonwealth Heads of Government this weekend.

For decades, there have been calls to repeal legislation seen as discriminatory against both Catholics and women.

Buckingham Palace has traditionally been cool on the idea but is now said to be sympathetic to reforms.

It is seen as particularly urgent because of the potential for a constitutional controversy if Prince William marries and has a daughter who would be overtaken in line for the throne by any future male siblings.

In Japan, the monarchy was rocked by a public backlash over succession laws favouring men when Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako had a girl, Aiko, Princess Toshi, who is their only child.

Mr Brown, who today departs for Trinidad for the biannual summit of Commonwealth leaders, told MPs: 'The Act of Succession is outdated. I think most people recognise the need for change.

'Change can only be brought about by not just the United Kingdom but all realms where Her Majesty is Queen making a decision to change.'

The Prime Minister is understood to believe that royals should be free to marry Catholics without giving up their right to the throne and that the rule that means female members of the Royal Family, such as Princess Anne, must yield to younger male siblings in the line of succession should be scrapped.

However, there will be no change to the requirement for the monarch to be a Protestant, since altering that would upset the position of the Church of England. The law requires that the monarch is also Supreme Governor of the Church.

LibDem MP Evan Harris, whose attempt to change the law was scuppered by the Government earlier this year, urged Mr Brown to 'get on with it'.

'All parties in the House agree that discrimination against princesses and Catholic spouses is not justified, and that the language in the Act of Settlement is offensive,' he said.

'An individual in the line of succession to the throne can have a civil partnership with a Catholic, can marry a Muslim or atheist, but cannot marry a Catholic.

'All Gordon Brown has to do is to consult Commonwealth Heads of Government so that we can get rid of this discriminatory symbol at the heart of our constitution.'

The 1701 Act of Settlement means that only the Protestant heirs of Sophia, granddaughter of James I, can become King or Queen. It also gives precedence to male heirs. The Act was drawn up in an era of religious strife to ensure the Protestant succession.

But it has increasingly been condemned as discriminatory. Autumn Kelly, wife of the Queen's grandson Peter Phillips, renounced her Catholic faith so he could retain his place as 11th in line to the throne after their wedding in 2008.

Other royals, including Prince Michael of Kent, the Queen's first cousin, have given up their claim to the throne to marry Catholics.

Buckingham Palace said: 'This is entirely a British Government initiative and it is up to the Prime Minister to seek the views of the realms in this situation.'

Britain's Roman Catholic leaders have insisted the law should be overhauled, though senior figures in the Church of England have expressed concern about constitutional tinkering that could lead to discussion of the established nature of the Church.

[mgt23]

interesting thought yamm on jew succession, couple of nice finds.