THE first Budget of the new Labour Government is set to face protests from anti-monarchy group Republic.
Due to take place on October 30, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing calls from Republic to cut the royal budget instead of public services.
It comes after a fresh report revealed at the end of September that the royal household now costs the taxpayer more than £500 million a year.
Speaking for Republic, CEO Graham Smith said: “Rachel Reeves has been saying she must take 'tough decisions' in her upcoming Budget but if cuts are needed surely the monarchy is the place to start.
“Yet the cost of the monarchy has risen to half a billion pounds per year. The royal budget should be cut to the bone, not vital public services.
“Republic will be protesting in Westminster on the day of the Budget, calling on Reeves (below) to cut the half billion royal budget. No ifs. No buts.”
Smith further hit out at the UK Government’s decision to make cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment.
“How does the Government defend this rhetoric of painful decisions when the royals cost us enough to pay 18,000 NHS nurses,” Smith said.
“That’s why we’ll be protesting outside Parliament and across Westminster when Reeves announces the Budget.”
The announcement of the protest comes after Australian senator Lidia Thorpe (above) interrupted a speech King Charles was giving to the country’s Parliament House.
She claimed “genocide” had been committed against the Commonwealth country’s indigenous people.
An aboriginal activist was also arrested in Sydney for staging a protest against the royal family’s visit.
Republic aren’t the first to call for action from Reeves in the upcoming Budget.
The SNP have also called on Keir Starmer to give a “cast-iron guarantee” that the National Insurance tax hike reportedly in the upcoming Budget will not hit Scottish public services or affect the Scottish Government’s Budget.
