Fewer royal powers urged

London- Queen Elizabeth II should lose some of her traditional constitutional powers including the right to give honours and …

London- Queen Elizabeth II should lose some of her traditional constitutional powers including the right to give honours and assent to legislation, a think-tank close to Mr Tony Blair is to recommend, it was reported today.

The authors of the Demos report, to be published in September, insist their ideas are not an attack on the monarchy, but would help it flourish. The report was seized on by Tories as evidence of New Labour's real thinking, said the Daily Mail, which reported a "senior Labour source" as saying most cabinet ministers would privately agree with the proposals.