Sunday 29 May 2011

THE REAL COSTS OF THE ROYALS TO BE CUT



We are often told that the cost of the royal family is a Civil List of around £45 million a year, and the royalist loyalist press work out that that is 67p per person per year, and gushingly implore us to rejoice at the value for money that we get.

But of course they never take into consideration the far larger added costs like the Duchy of Cornwall’s £16 million+ which could be used in Kernow for the benefits of the people, not the personal living expenses of Charles and Mrs Parker Bowles in addition to the grant in aid money that Charles and his “wife” get to perform their duties.

There is the expense of running and maintaining the Queen’s Flight, covered by the Ministry of War, ditto the royal train, charged to the Department of Transport, and the mother of them all, security.

For some reason, no one will tell us what the security costs are. Apparently it’s secret for reasons of security, as if terrorists could circumvent security if only they knew how much it cost.

The costs for this fall on the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police, the Foreign office and, of course, the local police forces all over the UK which have to mount massive security operations on every occasion when a member of the family is in their area.

I remember a few years ago that the Queen and Philip came to open a park in Dundee. I had never seen so many police in my life. I had no idea that there were so many. All over the park, everywhere as far as the eye could see, were uniformed police, and heaven only knows how many plain clothes officers were hidden in the crowd. The cost must have been enormous.

I remember too that many years ago, Alex Salmond criticised Charles and his then “partner”, Mrs Parker Bowles, for announcing that they were going to be at Crathie church on the Sunday of a weekend visit to Balmoral, only to change their minds at the last minute, meaning that a massive security operation, costing the Aberdeenshire police tens of thousands of pounds, had been mounted for nothing.

The overall cost of this must (spread across the country) be hundreds of millions of pounds a year.


There are massive costs of providing security for the Andrew sisters who contribute nothing to the life of the country. Fortunately this security has been a casualty of the policing cuts in England, and now it has been announced that Edward is to lose security on his 80+-roomed, £30 million mansion. He’s not happy about it, of course. His family will continue to enjoy security when they are in their royal apartments in London and elsewhere, and when on royal duties but not on their private home.

What always amazes about these people is that they seem to think that it is out of the question for them to pay for anything like this from their own pockets instead of sponging from the “hard pressed, hard working British Family”.

They are inordinately rich. Although they do now pay tax on their private incomes from farms on their estates and other enterprises, they do not pay inheritance tax and as such the fortunes that they have amassed over the years are left untouched. If they are so desperately afraid that someone will get in to their mansions, they should do what other people do and install a security system.

At their own expense.

Pics: DIY royal security. "Does one want some?"; Eddy and the snippy bitch will have to learn some self defence, or maybe just fork out for security themselves?

42 comments:

  1. Plus the cost of the 'Royal Weddings' and associated diovorces must be considered.
    A poor wee lad died recently because the ambulance got lost and they were understaffed due to the 'Royal Wedding'. This was rural perthshire so nowhere escapes the royal effect...

    http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Perthshire/article/14415/parents-demand-answers-over-death-of-three-year-old-martyn-gray.html

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  2. Quote from one of the parents in the article..

    "The most angering thing we were told was that it was a holiday weekend and they were busy with the royal wedding.

    "I am angry that, if they thought it was going to be busy, why were there not more staff on?"

    Exactly

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  3. It remains a fact that the Queen, herself, as head of state, costs a heck of a lot less than any of her comparative counterparts across the western hemisphere. Additionally to her cheaper cost to comparison; arguably she has a lot more clout than any elected chappy in Germany or France does!

    Quiz question (no googling or cheating!) - who is the elected President of Germany?

    Bet most can't even answer without googling it... but everyone knows who the British monarch is, and therefore our head of state. You cannot buy that kind of recognition. Many politicos would die for it.

    But you are right Tris, there are too many hangers-oners. But the function of the Queen, and her successors, as heads of state remains affordable, cheap, value for money.

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  4. taxpayer funded banana hoodieMay 29, 2011 1:19 pm

    "You cannot buy that kind of recognition"

    Just because you're recognised doesn't mean you're any good.
    Most folk with access to media will have heard of..

    Adolf Hitler
    Saddam Hussein
    Col Gaddafi
    Fidel Castro
    President Dean :)
    Pinochet
    Karadic
    Harold Shipman
    Jack the Ripper
    Pol Pot
    Chairman Mao
    Nixon
    Chavez
    Attila the Hun
    Lenin
    Stalin
    Hirohito
    etc

    I'm not saying Madge is a mass murderer. She's alright but is an anachronism of the servile past and as long as she and her spawn stay then the corrupt House of Lords will stay aswell.

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  5. Hugh.

    What a terrible story.

    Can you ever begin to imagine what it would be like to see your wee boy dying becasue the ambulance crew had got lost and taken 45 minutes to arrive?

    I suspect that the reason that they were short staffed was the holiday rather than that their staff were in some way involved in the wedding, but it's a point taken anyway.

    The cost of the royal wedding's security; ensuring the well being and safety of some murdering or their representatives must have been gigantic. Millions and millions of pounds on one day of jolity for the rich and super rich, at which we were allowed to stand at the window and watch.... And Brits lapped it up in their millions.... possibly becasue they are told it only costs 67p a year. Sheeeeesh.

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  6. All unelected leaders are by definition better known that elected ones. That is because they are around for much, much longer. We all knew that Mubarak was President of Egypt or that Gadaffi is President of Libya and that Kim Jong Ill is President of North Korea because these people like the Queen have been around for years and we have all learned their names. But is that the company you want to keep?

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  7. Also there are far more Presidents than there are Kings and Queens so if you are going to learn the name of every president rather than every king it is a much taller order. Anyway who cares! The vast majority of people in this world live in rural China and India and I am sure if you showed them a picture of the Queen they would have no idea at all who she is.

    I imagine that is just Dean’s usual diversionary tactic to distract us all from the ludicrous amount that these parasites cost.

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  8. Dean:

    I’m not sure what the advantage is of knowing the head of state's name. I mean, do I think more of Belgium because I know that their head of state is King Albert, than I do of Austria, because I haven't a clue who or what their head of state is.

    I'm not sure that Elizabeth has any more clout that the German President, (Wulff) although by tradition, she would precede him in any collection of world leaders by virtue of her royal status, just as the president of Malta would precede David Cameron, by virtue of his presidential status, as opposed to prime ministerial one.

    Of course the president of France is a very powerful man with a great deal of clout. As an executive president, with more power within France than the American president has within America, he, on his own, even on a whim, can seriously affect world affairs by directing a vote on the security council, for example, or exercising a veto in the EU. Although Russia and China would have done it anyway, President Chirac’s refusal to sanction military action in Iraq was what made Blair and DubYa go to war illegally.

    As to the costs, I’m not sure that the Windsors cost less that the Wulffs, or any other European non executive head of state. I’ve no idea where you would get costs (including security) of Queen Margrethe, King Juan Carlos, Prince Albert, President McAleese, President Sarkozy or, indeed that German blokey.

    Could you point me in the direction of your source for this?

    I think that only the people at the top who have a realistic chance of becoming head of state have any right for us to pay for their protection, and only then (apart from the actual head of state) when they are carrying out their duties. The rest of the time, these super rich people, who, as I said in the post, are protected from the crushing wealth destroyer of death duties, should pay for their own protection.

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  9. Dean:

    Forbes list of powerful women shows the Queen less powerful that Madonna, Lada Gaga, Sarah Palin, Opra Winfrey and even the French president's Mrs!

    http://www.forbes.com/wealth/power-women#p_1_s_arank

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  10. He he hoodie... That's true.

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  11. taxpayer funded banana hoodieMay 29, 2011 4:04 pm

    tris..

    Next up is eco loon charlie, who, according to Dean, is great because people have heard of him. His qualifications for being an important person is to have the honour of popping out of madge's front bottom. Big ears and all.
    His latest eco loon toon near Cumnock (sic) will have power outlets for eco cars to charge up and so save the planet. I'm not sure where the power will come from. It's got to be green energy so if the wind stops then the charging will have to stop. The local car dealer will display their latest saviour of the planet , the' Nissan leaf' at the eco loon showhouse. This car will reach Kilmarnock on a good charge. Or a trip to Embra if you travel at 45mph. Maybe pop in and see Marvin at the scheme on the Kilmarnock trip if he's not also on his own trip.
    No ecoloonytune homes have yet been sold so come on guys get down to Cumnock and save the planet.
    Free calendar with every 'leaf' sold so you can keep an eye on your speed.

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  12. Many Nations use their history and culture to attract visitors and holiday makers and make loads of money doing so.
    The money made from tourism to the UK more than compensates for the civil list

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  13. I wonder how much the court jester 'Dean' gets as a hand out.

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  14. Hoodie:

    Charles is a person I can do without. Even the royal-loving Daily Mail said that he had someone squeeze his toothpaste for him. He lives in a world all of his own. He's unreal and not in anyway fit to be a king. I hope he goes before his mother.

    On the other hand, no one would bring an end to monarchy faster than this fellow, with his selfish, self centred demands and his Edwardian gentleman attitude.

    As for electric cars...yeah right. Bonkers.

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  15. Niko: I doubt if it does bring in that much.

    It's worth looking at this video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2IO5ifWKdw&feature=watch_response

    Tourists go to see royal palaces regardless of whether real live blue bloods live there or not.

    And the royals spend only 10 days in Scotland (apart from the time they are on holiday and don't do anything). So we get tourists coming here to actually SEE royals for 10 days out of 365. So even if they ARE tourist attractions, it does sod all for Scotland.

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  16. Maybe he's actually Prince Dean, Cynical.

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  17. taxpayer funded banana hoodieMay 29, 2011 6:31 pm

    Dean's panicking as his beloved EUSSR is falling apart before he gets a chance to fill his boots at the EU trough. Utilising his degree in EU studies.

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  18. The European Union is only suffering problems due to the lack of further integration.

    The real cause of these problems are the nation-states. They continue to stand in the way of progress, peace and prosperity.

    As for your personal attack on me, I rather think that EU studies are vitally important. The EU has done more to protect UK working class fundamental rights than any UK government since 1979 has! The ECHR signifies a core, and binding commitment to human rights across this continent. A continent previously the cause of two world wars, mass genocide and untold human and economic suffering.

    It isn't about "filling my boots", it is about participating in a project which shall share the wealth of nations, will ensure quality before the law, and equality of opportunity at all levels of life.

    To oppose the EU project, is to oppose equality, freedom, democracy. Only fascists like UKIP and the BNP are of your way of thinking.

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  19. taxpayer funded banana hoodieMay 29, 2011 7:07 pm

    Ha ha . Love it. It's been all peachy and peaceful in Europe with our EUSSR keeping us out of bother abroad. Hey what's Ashton up to in Libya ? What was the EU doing to stop Blair's madness in Iraq ? What was Afghanistan all about ? Any news on Bahrain ? Syria ? Iran ?
    I doubt if the working class feel too elated and full of fundamental rights in Ireland, Portugal , Greece and Spain. Last I looked they were out on the streets getting beaten up by their govts. Rumpey Pumpey should be in there sorting things out (joke).
    Admit it you're a busted flush with your cushy EU about to crash about your head before you get your nose near the trough. You won't get a snifter of the dosh.
    Get a proper job and stop poncing off of the rest of us.

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  20. Come on guys, play nice. And no personal attacks...

    Banana Boy: The EU is a part of our lives; there's nothing wrong with studying it. Someone has to know how it works.

    Dean: You came pretty close there to implying that the banana man was a fascist. To be fair there are a lot of Tories that don't care for the EU.

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  21. Oh and you don't need to go all the way to Brussels to fill your boots, as we all know and one peer found to his cost this week.

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  22. taxpayer funded banana hoodieMay 29, 2011 8:11 pm

    tris..

    Yes sorry I'll stay cool.
    Dean is just lashing out at everyone as he's angry and upset that he'll never enjoy the EU gravytrain and unaccountable power to which he feels entitled.
    It's all collapsing in debt and disorder before he can even sniff the money and like a teenager caught reading his big brothers porn mags he feels slightly dirty and embarrassed.
    But we'll be here to catch him on the way down as he searches for a new career that doesn't involve flipping burgers.
    Calling us fascist and BNP supporters because we denounce totalitarianism in Europe is just his way of letting off steam.
    So we should forgive him.

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  23. Banana Boy:

    Thank you for that apology... although there was no need. :)

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  24. To oppose the EU project, is to oppose equality, freedom, democracy.

    How come as I didn't vote for the president whatever his name is and when did New Zealand join or are they a dictatorship. You might support the EU but by accusing all and sundry names just because they aren't falling for the spin is childish. List the pros as you see them to see if they hold water.

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  25. The European-haters predicted that a single currency could never be agreed ... then it was, they said it wouldn't be worth the paper it was written on ... then it became the global second currency, they said that it wouldn't last ... over a decade on it is still here. Now they say that it is the problem & cause of the economic problems in Spain ... whereas anyone with a brain realises that it is the lack of fiscal union and eurobonds which is chief culprit.

    Banana boy, you continue to live in cloud nine, and pretend that the EU is the cause of all the global problems. I'm sticking by it, and fighting for a more equal world.

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  26. Cynical,

    The benefits of the European Union?

    1. integration

    Integration protects and enhances the sovereignty of the people, and the countries which voluntarily choose to share and cooperate their sovereignty.

    2. human rights

    The EU is instrumental in ensuring that human rights are central to each member-states national legal system; from the Atlantic coastline to the borders of Belarus - human rights are held inviolable.

    3. Environmentalism

    The EU has been at the forefront of the fight against ecological catastrophe.

    4. workers protections

    The comprehensive chain of EU directives, laws etc summed up in the 'acquis communautaire' have been instrumental in ensuring that the worst aspects of capitalism are not rolling over ordinary citizens.

    5. Security

    Given the security challenges we face, the EU and its law and order harmonisation has improved our capacity to fight back against terror, illegal human trafficking, cross-border mob activity and sex-tourism

    6. Foreign policy voice

    As Europe becomes less central to global politics as we see the rise of BRIC countries, the EU can protect our interests at the top table. Not just be a puppet to one super-power or another as the medium powers of Europe have been/still are

    7. regulation

    Only at a European level can practical regulatory frameworks be instituted to protect us against future bankers, capitalists, and exploiters of the masses.

    The European Union is something worth studying, fighting for and advocating.

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  27. Dean Greece: Is The Euro About To Collapse?

    Thousands protest Greece austerity Peace in Europe Dean and this is just the start of ordinary people fighting against crooked governments within the EU who are being run by the IMF.

    As to your list of 7 Dean I am shaking my head in disbelief if you believe any of that and will refute at leisure as politely as possible.

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  28. Cynical,

    The crisis in Greece was caused by the lack of ever closer union, not because of it.

    If we had seen fiscal union, eurobonds then it would have been impossible for the Greek governments to have over-borrowed without ECB knowledge. They couldn't have got away with lying about their true level of expenditure-tax intake.

    ..I can't believe that your inability to realise that the current problems can only ever be solved with closer union.

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  29. Dean.
    You've pinned your colours to the mast and are sticking to the closer union policy as the solution to the euro crisis. But your view isn't shared by most citizens who fear loss of sovereignty and want to maintain their centuries old traditions of running their own affairs.
    Both sides can't have their way so we're stuck with a half in half out muddle.
    You must know you've lost the argument. Greece, Ireland and Portugal are dead countries totally dependent on the EU to run their affairs. Their population destined to pay for the failures of their leaders.
    A Sunday night in Greece and thousands are protesting in central Athens. Wanting their self determination back from the corrupt EU. Another £38Bn thrown into the dark hole that is Greek debt this week. How much more can we pay to these zombie countries ? If you want your snout in the euro trough then I hope you graduate soon as it's all going to end Soviet style very quickly and as a shock to Europe and the world at it's speed.

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  30. Dean

    How to destroy the web of Debt Have a look at Niko's Bar as I've posted a link to what is needed. If you believe that selling debt around countries to suit bankers and governments is the way forward for humanity then you will not be missed.

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  31. UKIPer,

    Let us look at Greece, Ireland and Portugal by all means :)

    For a start here is a nice link: http://financialbin.com/2011/05/12/more-not-less-financial-integration-needed-in-europe/

    Focus especially at the part when this expert explains that "it would be wrong to conclude that the crisis was caused by too much financial integration. In fact, the real problem may have been that there was too little financial integration."

    This is the reality, we need more, not less, integration.

    But you are right, many, many people do fear the EU, and a perceived loss of sovereign. Yet the real truth is that the absence of cooperation is the a sure-fire way of really losing our national sovereignty.

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  32. Of course UKIPer, if Brits had any guts, and the weather wasn't so incredibly mid winter, it's fair to say that our people would ...should, be protesting about what's happening to us.

    But we don't. They could run us through with their fencing epées and we'd just shake our heads and say "it's terrible, someone should do something... there ought to be a law...."...

    Oh and some of us, not desperate fans of the EU or the Euro think that Britain can stick it’s stupid money wasting ancient traditions right up its fundament. Traditions are almost always things that suit those with power and money.

    And God knows we have that in our corrupt parliament in Westminster. 85% of lords on the fiddle and sod all we can do about it because they are Lords... and the Commons all far too worried about their expenses to do anything much, but whipped and FPTP as they are, it doesn’t matter a damn what they do, because we are in an elected dictatorship.

    Worse still when the Queen dies we are going to get some Edwardian nut job with some idiotic idea that God sent him to be the King, and Mrs Parker Bowles to be the Queen... yeh Gads...

    I can certainly see why Europe would appeal to some.

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  33. You should also remember that UK is in just as bad a mess as many of the other countries in Europe and much worse than many others. And having the independence to sort out our own economic problems isn't much of an advantage if you have some dick wit who read history, but who has grossly inflated ideas about his own ability to do something about the situation. And is doing it all wrong!

    And what of Scotland? Stuck with an economy which is tilted for the south east of England, and with the idiot finance minister doing his very damnedest to drive it’s economy to complete ruin, because Scots don’t and won’t vote for his party.

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  34. Dean

    We both know we can swap links supporting our opinions until the EU cash cows come home. So I won't read your link as you would have no interest in reading my links.
    All I'm saying is if you want to fill your boots and join the queue in the corridor, with hand luggage trolley, at EU HQ on a Friday morning signing out for the weekend then for goodness sake get yourself over there ASAP because it's slipping from your sticky fingers and you're chance to trough is going quickly.

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  35. Been over there CH... Good stuff LOL

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  36. Oh, and doesn't Niko blether through his left ear!

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  37. tris..

    Can't disagree with anything you said.

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  38. UKIPer,

    The difference is that you assume my pro-Europeanism is based on some character failing. I am not pro-European because I want to "fill my boots". You are really just unwilling to read anything which could come close to challenging your narrow-minded, anti-foreigner mentality.

    How is the weather down there in middle england?

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  39. Dean.
    I'm pro European. I love going to Spain, Germany, Poland etc on my holidays. I just want a common market with free trade like we were promised. Not this Soviet style totalitarianism that you're fond of. Using taxpayers money to brainwash our kids into believing in 'pro Europeanism'.
    By calling us 'fascists', 'BNP supporters' ,' little englanders' and now 'middle englanders'( what's wrong with being a middle englander ?) you show you've lost the argument and highlight the depth of the brainwashing that you've had carried out on you. If insults are your reply what does that say about the quality of University student today and the quality of their EU teaching course ? From a vice president aswell. What can the quality of other EU studies students be like ?

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  40. update..

    The situation in Greece is worse than I thought. Private capital is flooding out of the country and the EU are planning direct taxation and seizure of state assets through 'privatisation' as part of the next 'restructuring' of it's debt. The endgame is gathering pace. I can't see the people sitting idly by while the EU helps itself to the country.
    I see that the European Financial Stability Fund sold most of the bail out bonds for Ireland to China and that the Chinese are sniffing around Portugal like an EU trougher near to the eu gravytrain.

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  41. UKIP,

    Explain exactly how the EU is totalitarian.

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  42. Dean
    The EU is totalitarian because it is gradually abolishing the nation states and concentrating power to the centre. Freedom of movement laws will slowly remove cultural identity in each country as we all become Europeans. Laws are being introduced that are streamlining justice, freedom of speech, media, health, employment and anything that effects citizens. The unelected elite have the power and money to buy off any dissent. Corruption is endemic and billions float around to be used to promote the EU project. Children are brainwashed to hate their history and culture. To bow to the global warming myth, to welcome 3rd world muslims into the EU with rules to outlaw any mention of jihad in member parliaments. Rules are routinely broken to keep bankrupt countries afloat and maintain the facade of a strong Europe.
    It's all been tried before and failed. The Soviet collapse came quickly and without much warning. The EU collapse will follow the same path because the people are 600 million and the eurocrats are 600. And the people will win.
    It's starting already in Greece, Spain , Ireland and Portugal.

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