Dear All,

It seems Her Majesty is down to her last 700 million and is asking that the British Taxpayer help fund much needed urgent repairs to her homesssss.

Now most home owners are required to ensure the upkeep of their homes without the subsidy of the UK taxpayer.

So why should the UK taxpayer subsidise a multi millionaire in the maintainance of their homes.

Perhaps the Royal Family could donate all their properties and lands to the people, who would then be responsible for the upkeep.

The Royals could then pay a commercial rent to live in these beautiful buildings.

The result would be the buildings restored and maintained for posterity and the Royals become Council Tennents in these properties.

The rents raised would include costs for maintainance and upkeep.

Seems fair to me.

After all the Royal Family by their own admission have not conducted the required maintainance on these properties and as result they have fallen into disrepair.

I read that Princess Anne was nearly hit by falling masonry once. Could have proved fatal if she had been hit on the head.

Any comments?

regards David

You're a Republican, then. But not a UK taxpayer, I assume.

Someone is about to point out how many billions in tourist cash the Royal Family is worth to the UK.

DEar Rupert,

I am not actually an Aussie merely an Expat but hoping to become a permanent resident.

I realise that they are a good tourist draw.

Shame they dont invest in their own homes.

regards David.

Not a republican.

I dont want a President.

Go on Rupert then, you seem to know, how much?

Perhaps they think they are immigrants and require state handouts, wait a minute.......
If you can't afford your house you move or sell one or six of them I reckon.A prime property location in central London should make a couple of billion and I'm sure planning permission wouldn't be a problem.
Sorry I have no sympathy with these people who are outside of any comprehension of how real people live.You didn't need to be told that last bit did you?

H

quote:

Someone is about to point out how many billions in tourist cash the Royal Family is worth to the UK.

That really winds me up. I always think of the potential billions in tourist cash we could get if the places were opened up for tours. We could have Charles & Camilla stuffed.
Maybe we should have a referendum on whether the taxpayer should help towards the upkeep of royal palaces. I think that would send a very clear message to them of exactly what we think of them. - it would be a popularity vote in effect (I'll accept the outcome..honest).
No...I mustn't start on the royals. It just raises my blood pressure. Bloody parasites.

Parasites IMO too.

66p per UK per person in the UK per year in 2007 is the cost as per official UK accounts.

How much are the Olympics costing? Only £9bn.....

Just some perspective....

Cheers

Jim

quote:

66p per UK per person in the UK per year in 2007 is the cost as per official UK accounts.

How much are the Olympics costing? Only £9bn.....

The Olympics are a one off thank god.QEII PLC how many decades and still counting?

quote:

Someone is about to point out how many billions in tourist cash the Royal Family is worth to the UK.

I've never seen any of it.

Surely if we sold off the crown jewels (with e-bay, we could sell them several times over) and rent out the RF that would make loads more money. We could populate the palaces with statues from Madame Tussauds, who'd notice?

Just a thought.

Ollie Cromwell Rotf

Of the top 20 tourist attractions in the UK the Royals only own one, Windsor Castle, at number 17.
So much for the billions they bring in!

Wow....insightful piece of logic and analysis.

Jim

I think Bob has a good point Jim.
Intriguing how many supporters of the Monarchy live overseas.
Could it be a case of nice from far, but far from nice?

Seems to me the justification for the royal family,
like their palaces & castles, is crumbling!

No he doesn't have a good point....you have to look a lot deeper than the superficial view of tourist's paying their sixpence at the door of Windor castle....you need to look at the hotel income, restaurant bar income, spending income etc...a much larger number.

As to me being overseas I could equally argue back that you are too close to it to see the value or recognise the overseas perception of the "brand".

This is a debate that will always be tainted by emotion I think....and that is a general statement not a jibe at anyone on here

Cheers

Jim - an SNP supporter for the record So hardly a royalist.

I think Bob has a good point Jim, because it is an indicator of the tourism generated by the RF. How many Tourists would no longer visit the UK if the Monarchy was abolished?

BTW I have looked deeper, & there seems to be a dearth of information regarding what the RF brings the the UK economy. I can't help thinking HM would have the figures plastered all over her website if they existed. No doubt we will draw our own conclusions from this.

Regarding overseas support for the RF I was thinking along the lines of who pays for them?
I wonder how many tourists would not visit if they had to pay a 'royal' arrivals tax?

I agree it's an emotive subject, but that's because the Monarchy have been fleecing the ordinary people for hundreds of years IMO.

Seems to be lots of overseas support for the SNP too!

quote:

Originally posted by 555:
Seems to be lots of overseas support for the SNP too!

Shurly shum mishteak...

Ian

PS Welcome home Jim, when you get back.

Has Sing Canary done a U turn?

555

Well, in addition to tourism, how many business deals get done between Governments and large businesses on Royal visits and as a result of Royal patronage and support? More than you may be aware I think.

I think it is impossible to estimate accurately how much income is generated but 40M GBP is a drop in the ocean of the national economy....although I will await the inevitable "incoming" saying it would build hospitals, schools etc.

Understestimating the global brand is a mistake I believe.

Cheers

Jim

Ian

quote:

PS Welcome home Jim, when you get back.

Very mixed emotions on the return I must say...there is a lot I miss (like the ability to throw a bunch of gear in a rucksack and head off for a weekends climbing or hillwaking on a whim (like this two weeks ago on the Moine Mor in the Cairngorms) but a lot of other stuff that I could do without like poor service at many places, petrol prices (although car mileage is much better so it offets somewhat), house prices etc. Anyway, enough hijacking of this thread...

Cheers

Jim

I have just realised that I should have a pair of speakers outside the tent to complete the "view form the listening seat" or whatever that thread was called!

quote:

Well, in addition to tourism, how many business deals get done between Governments and large businesses on Royal visits and as a result of Royal patronage and support?

Got me on that one, Jim - I'd guess 3 or 4, but it is only a guess. I still think holograms would be cheaper and who'd know?

ATB Rotf

The last political party I attended was a dead loss, nobody brought any drinks and the music was awful.

I was always a fan of the 3rd Earl of Harrow.