Don’t be unfair on Queen says Osborne
Chancellor defends royals in palace finances row
THE Chancellor weighed in to the row over the Queen’s finances last night, branding criticism of the Royal Household ‘unfair’. George Osborne spoke as several Tory MPs accused the Public Accounts Committee of ‘meanness’ and ‘grandstanding’ in a report in which it criticised courtiers for failing to balance the books and leaving dozens of royal residences in a state of disrepair.
‘I think the Public Accounts Committee chair is being unfair to the way the Royal Household has managed its finances,’ Mr Osborne said. ‘ They’ve lived within a frozen budget over the last years and indeed the cost to the Royal Family for the taxpayer has come down quite sharply over the last couple of decades.’
Committee chairman Margaret Hodge had said the Queen should open up Buckingham Palace to the public for longer and consider money-spinning ventures such as renting it out for commercial events. But yesterday Mr Osborne said her committee appeared to have ignored significant savings made by the Royal Family in recent years.
He added: ‘Let’s not forget, not only are they a very important part of our constitution, but they are a huge attraction for tourists all around the world – the Royal Family generate a huge revenue for this country.’
Royal aides said the backlog of building works has come about because of a real-terms squeeze on their funding of up to 60 per cent over the past 20 years.
They were backed by several Tory MPs, including Jacob ReesMogg who said it was ‘ bizarre’ the committee was focusing on royal expenditure of about £35million rather than Government spending of £700billion.
‘One has to wonder if it is possible that the reason they are spending so much time on such a trivial sum is because of the opportunities it affords for grandstanding,’ he said. ‘ There is a meanness in saying this is all very expensive – it is not.’
Nadine Dorries said: ‘ I am totally against this out-and-out yearly attack of the Royal Family because of who they are. They are great for Britain, the British
RENT OUT YOUR PALACE, MA’AM
From yesterday’s Mail
people love them. I felt quite embarrassed listening to Margaret Hodge reel off the list of repairs that need doing to the royal buildings that we have not funded as a country, because what the Royal Family does for us is beyond explanation.
‘They put this little island of England on the world map.’
Tory MP Michael Ellis said: ‘I am sure the idea of opening up public access more will be looked at, but by the time the cost of extra security and so on has been included I doubt it would make much difference. What is needed is a proper consideration of the royal finances.’
The report highlighted what is claimed to be repeated overspending by palace officials, forcing them to repeatedly dip into the Queen’s reserves. It also made great play of the fact 40 per cent of royal property – including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle – are of ‘below acceptable’ standard.
Labour’s Mrs Hodge told the Mail she was shocked by the ‘complacency’ of palace staff, adding that they ‘are not serving the monarch well at all’.
She also asked why, given the backlog of works, £1.1million of public money was found to renovate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s home at Kensington Palace as well as an apartment for Princess Beatrice.
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