Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South and a former shadow cabinet minister, said the arrest of anti-monarchy protesters and the sentencing of others who dissented showed that the royal succession was “about coercion as much as consent”. In an op-ed for the Guardian, which is likely to anger Starmer’s office, Lewis said his initial response to the idea of ​​people queuing for hours to pass the Queen’s coffin was “a riot followed by a touch of despair’. Seeking to draw lessons from the phenomenon for those, like himself, seeking to transition to a democracy, Lewis argued that media interviews with mourners often indicated that a key motivation was “the need to feel part of something more than themselves”. The “fundamental truth” about the monarchy, he argued, was its role as a national distraction. “It is a spectacle to highlight the virtues that should be typical of public life and public behavior. Characterizing such behavior as exceptional allows the likes of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and the financial elites they represent to bend and exploit the rules for their own benefit and their very narrow class interest – of which the monarchy is an integral part ». While the late queen reigned during a period of selling off public services to private companies and environmental degradation, the royal family enjoyed unique tax advantages, Lewis wrote. King Charles will not have to pay inheritance tax on any of his mother’s assets. “So while republicans should respect the language of ‘duty’ and ‘sacrifice’ that monarchists have so vehemently claimed the royal family makes on our behalf, we should not pretend that the reality is anything but a lie.” , he argued. “This is not the monarchy. It may provide us with a symbolic way to recognize the sacrifice and commitment of other people to society – but the monarchy itself risks nothing and suffers nothing, apart from the fact that the lives of the royal family become the subject of celebrity gossip. Through it all, it remains the backbone of a power structure that has its roots back in feudalism.” That disparity was reflected in the continued dominance of those who went to private schools in government and industry, Lewis said, adding that constitutional reform, including the role of the monarchy, “is something that needs to be pushed hard, not shut down or even temporarily suppressed”. Guidance released to Labor MPs earlier this week told them to “suspend all campaigning and party activity” beyond case and advice surgeries and to make no comments to the media beyond tributes to queen. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The advice drew criticism from some Labor MPs and shadow ministers and was ignored by some, including in constituent briefings on the government’s support for the energy bills, with some still offering comments on political issues. Labour’s annual conference, which takes place in Liverpool, will go ahead as planned a week ago on Saturday, with the Conservative party meeting in Birmingham a week later. However, the Lib Dems’ event, which had been scheduled to start in Brighton this weekend, has been cancelled.