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BBC TV News reported on Friday that "a leading republican" had been arrested on a charge of murdering soldiers in Northern Ireland. In fact the arrested man, Colin Duffy, is not known to be a member of any of the main republican organisations in the UK. He has, however, been associated with a small group in Northern Ireland that opposes the "peace process".

The BBC's description of Mr.Duffy as a "leading republican" followed immediately on a report that a BBC an opinion poll had shown continued majority support for Britain's feudal monarchy. That report had concluded with the statement that only a minority of Britons wanted a republic.

The BBC, which has described itself as "the greatest force for cultural good on the face of the earth", justifies its annual levy on TV watchers by the quality of its progammes. It argues, in particular, that the standard of its news reporting is superior to that of its competitors. It will find it hard, therefore, to explain the use of the unqualified term "leading republican" to describe a little known individual accused of terrorism immediately after a report on support for democratic republicanism in Britain.

The Corporation has a long history of bias in favour of monarchy, epitomised by Richard Dimbleby, a correspondence who is renowned for using his job with the BBC to encourage worship of the Windsor family.

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A BBC opinion poll has indicated that 89% of Britons want an end to discrimination against female members of the Windsor family, which has the exclusive right to provide the head of state under Britain’s feudal constitution. Nineteen percent favour continued discriminations against Catholics and seventy-six per cent believed that the majority of citizens should be barred from becoming head of state regardless of gender or religion.

Publication of the results of the poll coincided with reports that the Prime Minister has talked to "Buckingham Palace" about changing the laws that govern who should become Britain’s hereditary head of state by ending discrimination against female Windsor family members and Catholic girlfriends of male Windsors.

At present males have precedence and members of the Windsor family who marry a Catholic may not become head of state.

Justice Minister Jack Straw told Parliament that reform now had "higher priority" than before. Some MPs were sceptical about this, however, as it followed government sabotage on Friday of a bill to end such discrimination put before parliament by Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris.

Referring to discrimination against Windsor family and friends but not other citizens, Prime Minister Brown told journalists that "in the twenty-first century people do expect discrimination to be removed." If the law is changed Britain’s constitution will continue to deny the majority of Britons the basic democratic right of equal treatment regardless of family origin.

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The government of New Zealand is to sponsor a research project into the role of its hereditary head of state, who it shares with Britain and some former British colonies.

Two constitutional lawyers will spend three years looking at the country’s constitution. A Cabinet Officer legal researcher will work with them.

Former governor-general Cath Tizard described the project as "very positive" according to the New Zealand Herald. She said she favoured a republic and thought the project would help smooth the change.

But Prime Minister John Key, a republican, said that he would not be pushing for a republic during his term of office. He stressed the independence of the research project.

Alison Quentin-Baxter, one of the lawyers who are to do the research, said the book that would be published at the end of the project would spell out the constitutional law and conventions on the power and influence of the feudal head of state and the governor-general, her New Zealand representative. The book would note any areas of confusion or controversy but would not propose changes to the law.

The New Zealand republican movement welcomed the project while the monarchist league denied it would be of political significance.

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