Queen set for three million pay increase, as Republic says scrap the Sovereign Grant

Social Justice

Where are the cries over this 'waste of taxpayers' money'?

 

The Queen will receive an extra £3 million next year, as her taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant rises 6.5 per cent to £45.6 million in 2017/18.

The grant, brought in by George Osborne in 2011, increases at 15 per cent of profits the Queen gets from the Crown Estate, and by law can never drop below the previous year.

Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, called for the fund to be scrapped after the rise was announced in the Palace’s annual report today.

Graham Smith, CEO of Republic, said:

‘Royal funding is a scandal. The Sovereign Grant is a disgrace. To peg public funding to Crown Estate profits makes no sense and only serves to line the pockets of the royal family.

The Sovereign Grant has already increased 38 per cent in five years – now it’s going up again without any need or justification.

Meanwhile, as the Times reports, the royal family spent £39.8 million in 2015/16, up 11.5 per cent on the previous year.

Prince Charles, whose land in the Duchy of Cornwall earned him £20,467,000 (up 3.1 per cent since last year), spent £74,500 on a charter flight to Turkey for the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign, and £33,249 on a two-day trip on the royal train.

Princess Anne spent £12,379 on a charter flight to Glasgow for a Scottish fiddle concert.

Sir Alan Reid, keeper of the privy purse, claimed ‘One pound out of every four pounds that we spend comes from income we generated ourselves, rather than from the taxpayer.’

Or to put this another way, 75 per cent comes from the taxpayer.

Graham Smith called for the monarchy’s cost to be ‘stripped right back’ with a budget agreed by parliament each year.

He added:

‘With the country under such immense economic pressure and public spending being squeezed it is disgraceful that the Queen keeps taking more and more of the taxpayers’ money.’

Adam Barnett is staff writer for Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBarnett13 

See: The Queen’s 90th birthday is a reminder of how monarchy curbs democracy

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10 Responses to “Queen set for three million pay increase, as Republic says scrap the Sovereign Grant”

  1. Susan Thomas

    DIdnt she give a speech about all tightening our belts. Well obviously she is not included. This Conservative party needs to go . It disgusts me.

  2. Pauline Watson

    These are the real scroungers in our society, an outdated institution which continues to uphold a system of class and privilege. A modern, democratic society has no need of such useless medieval trappings, though many people I know just love to bend the knee to their supposed betters. Is this an English idiosyncrasy???

  3. Pete

    So many people claim that the monarchy brings in tourism from abroad and so on that argument alone should stay. France has roughly the same population as us but has so many more foreign tourists! Next argument to shoot down please!
    Through most of austerity, public sector workers generally did not get any pay rises. Perhaps this public sector worker should get the same treatment? Backdated!
    I agree with comments in the article that we are not truly a democracy with an unelected Head of State! Vive la Republique!

  4. Che

    Barry, the Lizzie didn’t fight for this country you utter tool! Infact she was photographed with her parents giving a Nazi salute! Saor Alba!!

  5. Iain

    so some moron thinks only the British fought for king/queen and country obviously an educational dropout ALL the commonwealth countries fought and died so their taxes could be used for the biggest benefit scroungers in the UK! as she’s one of if not THE richest woman in the world why doesn’t she use some of her own money? people in this country are homeless and starving – witness the food banks. get rid of the monarchy forget the alleged money to Europe and redistribute the money to where it’s needed

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