The media, even here in socialist Vikingland, are banging on about the cost of Maggie’s funeral – twenty new pence a head allegedly. So I thought I’d set the record straight, just to comfort the serried ranks of soon-to-be-late prime ministers who might feel obliged to decline the same honour in the interests of national thrift. The way these calculations are made is essentially spurious. Why? Because most of the costs for soldiers, sailors, airmen, police, and church and parliamentary bods are already being absorbed by existing budgets. They are not extra at all. None of them would have been at home, unemployed, with their feet up waiting for a job to turn up. They would have been on the payroll, mucking out horses, scrubbing decks or polishing their insignia; praying or patrolling in their cars and saluting MPs. So the funeral was probably a welcome break from routine.
So it’s much ado about nothing. It’s what accountants do – prudently as Wee Gordie used to mention, often. But an overspend it ain’t. (Btw, where is he? Oh, yes, he’s next to Cherie, gazing at Tony.))
Boadicea's Chariot 
Môre Jay
Would it not perhaps of generated income?
Did not the mourners who lined the route spend on travel? Stay in hotels?
Flag sellers, florists and other related paraphernalia would have been sold.
Were there adverts during the televised broadcast?
Etc. etc.
Is there not VAT on all these items not to mention company tax on profits come the financial year end?
… 😕 …
20p a head too much!
And as for that lot, not one brass ha’penny on ANY of them either individually or in bunches of six!!
they should put them on platforms to be picked over by crows.
Sorry Hugh,
At a time when the forces are having to make massive cuts to expenditure, essential maintenance will have suffered because of this. The practice and rehearsals will have taken place outside of normal working hours so precious time with the family will have been taken up by the funeral.
The fuzz who were ‘being paid anyway’ were stuck policing the route and not doing the stuff they were being ‘paid anyway’ to do.
The expense. whatever the truth of it, was totally unjustified.
Good Try, Janus! But, I’m not convinced!
… and the cost is not the real issue. The question is whether any Prime Minister should be honoured in this way – especially one that divided the country as deeply as she did.
Boa: She did not divide the country. It was already divided when she came to power. She just sorted the country out to the benefit of the majority. I imagine Gordon Brown has divided the country far more than she ever did.
The cost seems pretty trivial compared to the amount widdled away on Foreign Aid!
FEEG,
Is it nice on your planet?
I hardly see ridiculous over expenditure in one area as justification for it in any other.
Bear in mind the members only bars and cafes inside the Palace of Westminster are all tax payer subsidised to the tune of 9 million a year, so if that is OK then the funeral was a snip. I say we rush out and buy 20 of them now.
…not forgetting the British gold reserves of which Mr Brown sold 60% at $275 raising $15.5 billion less than what he would have got in 2011.
There seems to have been more outcry about the cost of Lady Thatcher’s funeral than the gold fiasco, which just seems to endorse my view of her denigrators. Oops, that was probably racist.
Sipu,
See my comment re: one idiotic, hair brained spend being justification for any other.
Ferret: Are you saying the country was not divided in 1979? If so, I think my planet is a lot nearer the centre of the universe than yours.
Lets say the division was far greater after her than before FEEG.
But my point was you casually waving away 10 million shekels simply because Wavey Davey and the Simpletons (the same morons who came up with the funeral nonsense) squander megabucks on a supposedly 3rd world country with a vastly more developed space program than our own.
I’m with Mrs Osborne, not one of them is worth a ceremonial funeral. Go get a dictionary and look up “public” and “servant”. They are way too far up their own exhausts and need to be reminded who pays the wages.
Oh and Hugh,
Is that not the Gormless Gorilla with the back of his fat head to us, two seats to the right of Tony “War Criminal” Bliar? I think it is because to can see the Action Man eagle eye slider for his glass goggler.
No Furry. The divisions were no greater after her, just more obvious. I agree, that MOST of them are not worth a raffia coffin, but Maggie changed the world, not just this country. BTW Phoney Tony and co agreed the format of the funeral before Wavy Davy even came to power. As you have probably guessed by now, I dislike all pollies, but at least Maggie did some good.
No conflicts here then, Furry. 🙂 My post does identify Wee Gordie, now greyer than ever.
I suppose we will just have to disagree on that one FEEG ol’ bean.
I’d just like to thank the members of the Police who joined in the turn-your-backs protest.