I had such a nice post in mind for this lovely Sunday, but am too mad since reading about our less-than-beloved-by-many royal family in yesterday's newspaper.
These are among the richest people in the world.
They get paid an annual salary/allowance out of the taxes of ordinary people in the UK.
Over recent years that allowance (the "civil list") has been set at £7.9million per annum, on an assumption in the 1970s of an annual 7.5% inflation rate.
The 1970s deal also states that the civil list payment can never be reduced. (WTF??)
Even though inflation has been way lower than this for years now and even though our less than universally admired royals have been building up quite an unspent surplus in the fund.
The newspaper report I read cited an unspent £21 million surplus in the civil list at the moment.
This would be bad enough in times of economic equilibrium and stability.
In our current economic context, it is a right royal scandal.
And the worst of it? they are not asking just ("just") for continued contributions at the existing rate.
They are asking for a raise. You can read the full report here.
I am beyond mad and speechless.
I am more than just a little pissed off.
Thats all.
21 comments:
That's mad!
But it is amazing how much tourism the monarchy generates...
also, it doesn't seem right that the rate can never be changed...who runs the government in your country anyway? The queen or the people?
That's the bloody rich for you...always demanding more! And with that many quid stacked up? WTF indeed!
Off with their heads!
At least the Obamas don't appear to be greedy...
I like this latest Official portrait of the royals, letty.
(Has Francis Bacon ever done one?)
(Carry on, Lettuce - I understand Cup of Brown Joy Tea is replacing God Save The Civil List as the royals' anthem? Is this true?)
Wouldn't it be something, for all those who have "too much" to throw it back in the til for schools, health care and the like and helping ones fellow people ?
We live on so little, and go without so much, I'm sure they can too ; )
If only.........
Well, she has to have a fully trained staff to polish the royal jewels every morning, and what about all those corgis to take for Walkies and pick up after, all those stoop and scoop bags, all that stuff costs big money, y'know.....
BTW great pic! Sort of banksyish????
And you can bet your life that as they take and squander OUR money they're laughing at us miserable commoners. Come the revolution I'd drop the lot of them into the croc pit.
Great that it's being discussed openly - hope they get a "no", with the respectful pointing out of the sequestered funds. My English relatives describe the royals as "A Waste of Space".
The royal family have enough wealth of their own without getting anything from the civil list - they should use that!
Hopefully, one day they will stop this madness & just live of their already obscene endowment.
if this is you being speechless, I can't wait to read what you have to say when you find the words!!
OMG....utterly despicable....on this side of the pond, corporate robber barons are pulling the same type of crap - part of the reason this country is paralyzed anytime something like health reform comes up!
great portrait
Ditto to Mouse's comment. Those that have so much just want more. When will it ever be enough? Apparently, never, as long as any of us have anything left to be skrewed out of.
Grrrr. I may be an American citizen but family is Anglo-Welsh (I self-identify mainly with the Welsh part...you can only imagine how that part feels...they are definitely NOT with The Program. My grandmother fumed every time she heard 'Wales' as part of someone's title.)
This is why I just do not understand the bizarro ultra-Anglophile in America. Because so much of it has to do with some identification with many people on the civil list, their chums, & the "lifestyle" -- living off of UK tax revenue. When I get in a rant about it (when QEII visits here, or there's a documentary on 'them'), you should hear (some) Americans DEFEND it! WFT,indeed.
Tourism does NOT depend on that family...England & Wales (not to mention Scotland) would do just fine, thank you very much, without the "Windsors." As someone mentioned above, they can bloody well live just beautifully with their obscene amounts of personal fortune (the origin of which was hereditary -- & not exactly squeaky-clean in provenance). That kind of money is considered ill-gotten in monarchies in Africa, for instance. People who decry that sort of thing often are taken aback when I mention the UK.
Blech.
I thought the civ-list had been gutted over these last years. So not very much, eh?
My blood pressure just went up. I remember a documentary in last few years wherein a few of the chinless wonders whinged on about 'working so hard for the Firm.' Oh please.
OK, over & out, Letty.
ciao
Great rant, great comments!
What an unimaginable amount of surplus. Sheesh!
I don't suppose they could give the surplus to charity and have it funnelled to people and organisations in need???
What would it take for England to rid itself of the monarchy???
I love Logan's hidey space and expression...
I agree giulia, tourism would do fine without them and they benefit so much from their position, the wealth and land (from which they make more wealth) should be more than enough returns for what they contribute.
and I can't help thinking that this amount of surplus probably doesn't seem like that much money to them.
Shammickite, this is a Banksy - I didn't realise at the time of photographing it. The owner of the building recently was only just able to prevent council contractors completely painting over it....
I love the mural. Especially the pink dog? on the right.
21 million pounds is chump change compared to the billions lost in this latest example of financial excess!
Wow, that IS shocking. I haven't read the article yet, but I can't see how they could justify such a request, particularly when people all over the world are struggling because of the bad economy.
The royals do bring tourism, but that's no excuse, really. What are they going to do -- quit??
I actually like Queen Elizabeth, but it seems dignity would demand that she not pursue a raise. In fact, she should return whatever surplus has accumulated to the national treasury.
I have to say I whole heartedly agree with you Lettuce. It's not like we voted for them is it, they are simply inherited from an bygone age when their ancestors were murdering and killing to rule this land........it's a sore point with me, The Royal Family.
Grrrrrrrrr.
Mind you, we didn't vote for Gordon Brown either did we.....
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