Peter Rhodes on succession, speeding and breaking the rules on boozing
According to a new book, the late Queen Elizabeth had “no great enthusiasm” for changing the law on succession of the monarchy. Historically, the crown passed automatically to the monarch's oldest son but in 2013 this was changed, under constitutional reforms, to the monarch's oldest child, of whatever gender.
The change in rules won't affect anything for a while but if William and Kate's firstborn grandchild were a girl, she and not any younger brother, would become the heir apparent. And thus the monarchy becomes more modern, enlightened and fairer. Well, sort of. But if the crown automatically passes to the oldest child is this not by definition ageist, discriminating against those whose only sin is to be born later? This could run and run.
After a falling-out with the local newspaper in Nottingham, the Reform-controlled council has allegedly threatened not to speak to reporters, accusing them of moving “from being a media organisation to an activist organisation.” I'm reminded that Enoch Powell, no stranger to hostile coverage, took a more pragmatic view of the age-old, and often acidic, relationship between politicians and journalists: “For a politician to complain about the press,” he said, “is like a ship's captain complaining about the sea.”
I suggested recently that wholesale prosecutions and bans for “speeding,” especially in some 20 mph limits (not the ones near schools), might seriously reduce Britain's pool of professional drivers and damage the economy. A few days ago came reports of a courier driving on an unfamiliar route in Wales who assumed a 20mph zone was 30mph. He racked up 10 offences on the same stretch of road and has now been fined and banned for six months. And serve him right, you might think. And then you read that before this rash of offences, this professional driver had a clean licence, which suggests he is not a bad driver. A troubling tale.
“Nothing is sacred,” says Wetherspoons boss Sir Tim Martin, reacting to reports of younger drinkers putting ice in their beer, lager, cider and even red wine. I'm a more conventional drinker but have been known to sip cider over ice cubes. And on holiday in the Italian Lakes I developed a taste for the local Bardolino, a red wine served chilled in jugs. Mmm, the great taste of sacrilege.
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