A FORMER SNP Cabinet Minister wants the Royal Family nationalised.
Alex Neil believes the Queen and Prince of Wales should be paid only a salary and expenses for their official roles.
His call came after the leak of financial documents showed the Queen's private estate secretly invested vast amounts of cash in offshore tax havens.
The so-called Paradise Papers revealed that about £10 million ($13m) of the Queen's private money was invested offshore. Neil said the revelations showed the need for a radical shake-up in the way the Royal Family is financed.
He called for changes to the Duchy of Lancaster, which provides the Queen with an income and handles investments for her £500m private estate.
The MSP said: "Clearly it's making millions of pounds each year. Why should that go to royalty and not the Treasury?
"They should be paid a wage and expenses, but any surplus should come back to the taxpayer."
Neil’s call came as an article in an influential left-wing publication said an independent Scotland should hold a vote on whether to scrap the monarchy.
The issue of scrapping it cannot be “dodged” says Bill Bonnar, a member of the editorial committee of the Scottish Left Review.
In an article in the forthcoming issue Bonnar said: “In Scotland, the argument for a republic is completely entwined with the case for independence.
“The official SNP position is that an independent Scotland would retain the Queen as head of state just like other members of the Commonwealth.
“One suspects it’s a position not supported by the majority of SNP members and supporters who see it as a tactical stance to be sorted out after independence.”
He added: “In the last referendum in 2014, the issue of the monarchy was taken out of the equation on largely tactical grounds.
“It is likely to be so again in the next referendum. However, if there is a Yes vote next time and Scotland becomes an independent country the issue cannot be dodged. A decision will have to be taken. This can either be through a simple vote of parliament or another referendum.”
Scottish Green co-convenor Patrick Harvie added: “Obviously those of us who would prefer an elected head of state feel freer then others to criticise, but regardless of whether or not the monarchy continues surely everyone should agree that higher standards of transparency and scrutiny are required."
The Duchy of Lancaster has said it was not involved in the investment decisions of funds made on its behalf and there is no suggestion the Queen had any specific knowledge of them.
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