We have all got to do our bit for the elderly, which is why I’m pleased the government is rallying round Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip during their time of need.
The nonagenarian couple are going to receive a huge housing benefits windfall to the tune of £370 million to refurbish Buckingham Palace. That represents a whopping 66% pay rise. The cash will be used over a 10-year period to replace electrical wiring, boilers and cast iron pipework.
While I don’t begrudge Her Majesty the money, she’s hardly short of a bob or two so it doesn’t seem unreasonable to ask her to make a contribution from her own sizeable pockets to reduce the taxpayer burden. However, what really bothers me is how the building got to be in such a parlous state where chunks of masonry have been falling off it. Have those in charge of its maintenance and upkeep been asleep for the last few decades?
