Royal yacht fantasy

“The use of the Queen, in a dignified capacity, is incalculable. Without her in England, the present English government would fail and pass away.”

Those were the words of Walter Bagehot in his seminal work The English Constitution in 1867 on the role occupied by the monarch at the head of the empire.

What, then, will be the political impact of the suggestion by 50 Tory MPS who are calling for a new lottery, the proceeds of which to be set up to pay for a new yacht for the richest woman in the world?

Demanding more for the monarchy whilst 120,000 children are in temporary accommodation shows the Tories’ cruel inhumanity.

The gambling industry is one which preys on the poor and vulnerable. It is using thirdparty firms to harvest people’s data, helping bookmakers and online casinos target people on low incomes and those who have stopped gambling.

The Paradise Papers showed the Queen was an investor in rent-to-own chain Brighthouse, who have been criticised for their business model which charges high interest on furniture to some of the country’s poorest people.

The new yacht fantasy shows the Tory right’s post-brexit delusional fantasies about a return to the days of empire.

ALAN HINNRICHS Gillespie Terrace, Dundee