I TOTALLY disagree with Aled Jones (It's time to abolish out-of-date monarchy, Readers' Letters, May 18).

We need a president of England like a hole in the head. We already have a prime minister and wife who act like, and think they are, president and first lady, and what a disaster this pair are.

They certainly do not represent this country in the same wonderful light that the Queen does. The Government is metaphorically known as Her Majesty's, but the Queen herself is above politics. And if we are talking of cost of a monarchy, just how much more is young Blair costing this country for an illegal war and the Blair force plane he has ordered for himself. Not to mention the amount, John (no job) Prescott is costing the nation.

Abolish New Labour, more like, and save money and England from the likes of George W Bush.

Mrs W P Carter,

Marston Crescent,

Acomb, York.

ALED Jones says "abolish the monarchy" in favour of a presidency. Is this a good idea?

We might get someone like Stalin, Saddam Hussein, Gadaffi, Nixon, Mugabe, Charles Taylor, Idi Amin, Clinton, Giscard d' Estang , Mitterand, Chirac, Bush or one of the many corrupt heads of African countries, all of whom were elected.

The BBC Africa Live website asked: "Is there life after presidency?" Among the replies was one from Zimbabwe which said: "There is life and prosperity for presidents in Africa because most of them are thieves."

As to the cost of the monarchy, I suggest we get better value from the Royals than we do from the politicians and their ever-increasing army of unelected advisers.

L Mackenzie.

Elmpark View, York.

IT is a change to read a letter in The Press that doesn't have York in the address and isn't contemplating the city's dustbin of a navel.

I don't always agree with Aled Jones but I did argue his case back in 1952/53. Today, what if the elected president proved as duplicitous as Mr Blair and had a wife as greedy?

Suppose they took the step of suspending elections? Cromwell did. Maybe the monarchy is the lesser of two ineptitudes.

To quote John Osborne: "Monarchy is the gold filling in the mouth of decay".

Mick Snowden,

Amotherby, Malton.

Updated: 10:19 Wednesday, May 24, 2006