At some point during the past three years we've all heard the cliche that there's "no money left". Obviously there is - there's never no money left or else the country would grind to a complete halt - but the phrase has become accepted wisdom due in large part to the success of the government in popularising the idea.
At some point during the past three years we’ve all heard the cliche that there’s “no money left”. Obviously there is – there’s never no money left or else the country would grind to a complete halt – but the phrase has become accepted wisdom due in large part to the success of the government in popularising the idea.
Much like those “libertarians” who find themselves calling for censorship when there is a chance the BBC may play a song which might offend their sensibilities, the government’s austerity hawks are able to conjure up reams of cash when they happen to approve of where the money is being spent.
Margaret Thatcher’s funeral tomorrow is expected to cost around £10 million pounds.
Whether one agrees with that or not, it would indicate that there is (at least some) money left. Here are a few other things that £10 million might buy:
- 177,777 jobseekers’ allowance claims of £56.25 for one week
- Two years of foreign aid to Iraq
- 152 MPs’ salaries
- The upkeep and maintenance of England’s cathedrals for one year
- 1,999 students’ annual tuition fees
- 25,773 household electricity and water bills for one year
- Double the UK’s funding for global human rights projects on sexual violence against women and girls
- Pay for the monarchy for three months
- Double the funding designed to boost innovation in offshore wind turbines.
- 269 paramedics
- 322 nurses for one year on £31,095 each
- Buy two tonnes of European white truffles (£2,300 a pound)
- A mortgage on Dracula’s Castle in Romania (full value £86 million).
Source: Andrew Spooner: http://momentofcrisis.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/thatchers-funeral-in-numbers.html
It’s interesting to note that the Taxpayers’ Alliance have been relatively silent about the cost of Lady Thatcher’s funeral on the public purse. I say relatively silent because Matthew Sinclair, the chief executive of the group, will be giving a speech.
29 Responses to “Things you could do with £10 million”
micklikeariot
I’d hate the job of having to write these propaganda articles. You must be like the person doing Kim Jong-Un’s press releases. So are you a debt denier? Do you simply think there is no issue? Money is just not a worthwhile concern?
The government is in debt. We have less income that outgoings. The debt gets bigger.That is unsustainable. Yes – there is money – cashflow. The government receives money and can spend it on all the above you list. But it will have to make a choice. If it does spend it on your list, it will not be paying off the debt. So just to argue “there is money implies there is no problem. There is money – but it comes with caveats, choices and sacrifices. That would be a better article to write.
wouldyoubelieveit
Pay some rich landowner’s extortionate rent for a few useless wind turbines that don’t actually produce electricity when you need it.
Cole
So you’re presumably against spending £10 million of our money on Lady T’s elaborate funeral?
micklikeariot
yes
Cole
Good,. Some of the most enthusiastic slashers of government spending seem to think it’s ok to spend £10 million on the funeral of a highly divisive PM. She ain’t no Winston Churchill.