That this story is front page of the BBC News website, and undoubtedly will be making the front pages of many news papers, really gets at me. Why is the fact that some rich guy is getting married to some rich girls so news worthy?
A list of more newsworthy articles on the site which have been bumped in favour of massaging the egos of the super rich, benefit claimants (just to appeal to the Doily Mail readers out there):
Payout for ex-Guantanamo Inmates
Eurozone Facing 'Survival Crisis'
Young Carers Deserve More Help
UK Inflation Rates Rise to 3.2%
Stem Cells Used in Stroke Trial
These stories are all of infinitely more importance to the public, given that these are things which might actually affect them. Which brings me to my real gripe with the whole scenario.
The wedding might affect the public. The only way it will actually do that is if the Government are left footing the bill for what is sure to be a jolly good show of pageantry and wealth. Wealth which, of course, is not their own.
Budgets in all government departments are being either cut or increased at rates less than inflation. In real terms, everything is being cut. It's not good times. There are people who will be getting married next year, paid for with their own hard earned wages. There will be people who wanted to get married next year who might have to put things on hold because they can no longer afford to, maybe they lost their job as a direct or indirect result of cuts. The royal family have no worries. If they run out of money they just need to ask the government for more. They claim more in benefits than any asylum-seeking-drug-addict-terrorist-paedophile. If the government are going to start capping housing benefit theirs should be the first.
We're all in it together? I bloody hope we are.
A list of more newsworthy articles on the site which have been bumped in favour of massaging the egos of the super rich, benefit claimants (just to appeal to the Doily Mail readers out there):
Payout for ex-Guantanamo Inmates
Eurozone Facing 'Survival Crisis'
Young Carers Deserve More Help
UK Inflation Rates Rise to 3.2%
Stem Cells Used in Stroke Trial
These stories are all of infinitely more importance to the public, given that these are things which might actually affect them. Which brings me to my real gripe with the whole scenario.
The wedding might affect the public. The only way it will actually do that is if the Government are left footing the bill for what is sure to be a jolly good show of pageantry and wealth. Wealth which, of course, is not their own.
Budgets in all government departments are being either cut or increased at rates less than inflation. In real terms, everything is being cut. It's not good times. There are people who will be getting married next year, paid for with their own hard earned wages. There will be people who wanted to get married next year who might have to put things on hold because they can no longer afford to, maybe they lost their job as a direct or indirect result of cuts. The royal family have no worries. If they run out of money they just need to ask the government for more. They claim more in benefits than any asylum-seeking-drug-addict-terrorist-paedophile. If the government are going to start capping housing benefit theirs should be the first.
We're all in it together? I bloody hope we are.
