<% ballot="45011" ' Check nothing is broken broken = 0 if ballot = "" then broken = 1 end if set vt = Server.Createobject("mps.Vote") openresult = vt.Open("Vote", "sa", "") ' Created object? if IsObject(vt) = TRUE then ' Opened db? if openresult = True AND broken = 0 then ballotresult = vt.SetBallotName(ballot) ' read the vote votetotal=(vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "yes")+vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "no")) if votetotal <> 0 then ' there are votes in the database numberyes = vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "yes") numberno = vt.GetVoteCount(ballot, "no") percentyes = Int((numberyes/votetotal)*100) percentno = 100 - percentyes ' fix graph so funny graph heights dont appear 'if percentyes = 0 then ' percentyes = 1 'end if 'if percentno = 0 then ' percentno = 1 'end if else ' summut went wrong frig it numberyes = 0 numberno = 0 percentyes = 50 percentno = 50 end if end if end if %> Votes so far:

100% 0%			>		>
			Yes: <% =percentyes %>%		No: <% =percentno %>%

Wake up. The monarchy will not survive if she is not made accountable. This country is living in the past.
Mikko Kuronen, UK

The real question is whether or not there should be a monarchy at all.
Steve Cleary, UK

In America, if you are recieiving money from the taxpayers, you are accountable to them.
Denise Bredt, USA

Accountability is what a constitutional monarchy is all about. My recollection of history is even Queen Victoria felt the need to respond to the public's wishes. The problem arises when the public is subject to hysteria, as in the period after the Princess of Wales's death; that flag incident at Buckingham Palace was an embarassment to the UK, as the Murdoch press manipulated the public terribly. The Queen was treated shabbily, and had no defence.
Mike Melnick, USA

From the perspective of a Brit living in the USA, I am only now becoming aware of how farcical this lavish soap opera has become. Why on earth does the British Tax Payer pay for this institution which only brings ridicule on our country.

This is a self serving institution run purely for those who earn their living and privileged status from it. What right do these people have to brainwash and mould a young boy like William purely for their own ends. The British public should let William know that if he doesn't want to perform this bazaar role which will undoubtedly screw up his life he can just walk away from it.
Doug, USA

The real issue of the monarchy is and always has been that its existence makes us subjects of the monarch/state with duties and not citizens of the state with rights. As such, when she dies she should not be replaced and the whole institution should be consigned to history.
Therion Ware, Malaysia

The British Royal family has been, and still is to most Americans over the age of 35, the hallmark of dignity and wisdom. As a "yank" I hope that the British people will maintain their Queen/King above the fray of politics.
Patrick Burke, USA

The Queen must be accountable only to her own conscience and her own immense sense of responsibility; accountability implies subservience and the Monarch must remain above popular whim and political pressure.

The constitutional advantages of this type of monarchy over other forms of temporary, accountable, electable heads of state are obvious - look at the Nixon debacle or the current embarrassments of Clinton - our monarchy gives stability and permanence as wellas a disintered voice at the highest level of government.
Mervyn, Canada

As head of state, the Queen is already accountable for her actions. As a private individual,The Queen like the rest of us has her conscience. That is good enough for me.
Garry Chantler, Greece

Yes, as a part of the structure of the state she should be accountable to the citizens. However, there is a paradox in the idea of a hereditary monarchy which is democratic. Monarchy is a remnant of absolutism and has no relevance in a democracy.
One other thing. Whenever I hear commentators speaking of reforming the monarchy the disussion rarely if ever considers the fact that the Queen is Head of State not only of the UK but of over a dozen other countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica etc. Certainly, if there is to be a radical redesign of the monarchy the people of these other nations should be consulted, yet British constitutional experts and commentators speak as if the Queen is only a British institution without regard to the Commonwealth. Why?
Andy Lehrer, Canada

The Queen should do what she thinks is right and not be swayed by public opinion.
Daniel Jackson, USA

Be thankful that you have a monarchy. They take off many burdens from the govt. If you had no monarchy, you never would have had Princess Diana.
Robert Waters, USA

I think the death of Diana suddenly woke the monarchy up - like it or not they are accountable.
I think there is a threshold for what the public will tolerate and if they cross it, then the people may very well decide they don't want a monarchy anymore.
What we are witnessing now are the final attempts of dying institution to survive. At the rate we are going we shall be a republic, but with a monarchy - a caring, sharing, peoples monarchy. What's the point lets just abolish them now, instead of putting off the inevitable.
Seth Kendall, UK

Provided the Monarchy remains ceremonial, as opposed to exercising their right to influence legislation, then accountability should come through the elected Government. It is their role to ensure that any money paid out is done so in the best interests of the nation.
Andrew Heeps, UK

The only remaining benefits of the monarchy are tourism and fund-raising. It is otherwise a defunct vestige of privilege. I find considerable irony in this latest attempt by the richest woman in the world to obtain a new job description from the masses.
Ashton M. Thorogood, USA

No. In the Westminster model, the monarch is the focal point of the accountability of others, symbolising "the people".
Bill Zielinski, USA

The Queen's position as head of state is unique in that her position is entirely independent of political party politics. By having an independent person as head of state (with a reasonably independent second house, The Lords), the worst excesses of party politics can be mitigated against.
Without her as a truly independent judge of legislation, a situation such as the rise of Hitler etc might well possibly arise in this country.
Chris Wilson, Great Britain

If society is going to progress towards an egalitarian ideal, then privilige must be restricted and eventually phased out. It is not morally correct that one person can be born into a life of untold riches, when another is born into a life of poverty. The monarchy must go.
Jon Howard, UK

Our monarch should be accountable to her subjects to avoid any misbehaviour on anybody's part.
Robert Watts, Her Majesties Sacred Isle

It's a silly question. For the Queen to be accountable, she would have to actually perform some useful function, rather than simply appearing at ceremonies and leeching off the taxpayer.
I mean, what's the point of making her accountable, when we could all get on quite happily if she and the rest of the royal family simply ceased to exist?
Comments about her being "above the fray of public and political debate" just demonstrate how supremely irrelevant she is to people's everyday lives.
Mathew, USA (UK citizen)

The Royal Family is already accountable in the way that the elected Parliament at Westminster could cut off the money that is provided to the Royal Family.
The suggestion made by a couple of the respondents that the Royal Family "leech" off the Government is incorrect. Any public money given to the Monarchy must be cleared by elected MP's who have total control over the Public Purse. If the Monarchy was to become deeply unpopular then it would be hard to imagine any MP voting to continue the payments or the Monarchy.
The Queen plays a vital role as Head of State, she has certain powers which could be invoked in the most extreme circumstances. In the hands of the Queen it is certain they will not be used for Party Political advantage.
Yet the electorate have always had the final say. This occurred in 1832 and 1910 when the Monarch ensured the Lords could not block measures that the electorate had specifically voted for in a General Election. The Monarchy also helps boost tourism and plays a key role in the Commonwealth. It is highly unlikely that a British Politician would be so readily accepted as the Head of the Commonwealth. As a Monarchist I hope that for the sake of fashion we will not get rid of an institution that continues to serve us well.
Kevin Foster, UK

The Queen should not be accountable. If we hold the Queen accountable, she be come a boneless politican who is lead by opinion polls i.e. Tony Blair and Bill Clinton.
Britain and the Commonwealth have the best Royal Family in the world, do not change anything just to please today's so-call public opinion.
God save the Queen.
George Hartman, Guyana

My answer is no, unless you want to give her power to rule, no one can be responsible for things out of their control.
A. Noronha, Brazil

It is a good idea for the Queen to find out how she is perceived by the people who pay her wages. I'm not so sure how one would go about making her "accountable" but I'm sure she could be more Public Friendly.
Elaine Woobey, Scotland

The Monarchy is the great tie that binds the United Kingdom.
Michael E. Long, USA

Of course the Queen should remain unaccountable, how else could we preserve the monarchy from the ebb and flow of public opinion. The Queen is and should remain above the fray of public and political debate.
John Welch, UK

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