LABOUR have been urged to bring back the funding of the monarchy under democratic control – after it was revealed the Government would give King Charles a 45% pay rise.
Changes to how the monarchy is funded were brought in by the Conservative Government led by David Cameron and recently resulted in the King preparing for a bumper payment of the Sovereign Grant of £125 million in 2025.
Internal pressure group Labour for a Republic has written to Keir Starmer and his shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves to demand the party reverse the Tory policy.
Nick Wall, the group’s chair, wrote: “David Cameron and George Osborne did a great deal of harm to the UK economy, not least by ensuring those who had the most benefitted at the expense of those who had the least. It falls to the next Labour government to put things right.
“One of their Tory ‘reforms’ included the introduction of the Sovereign Grant, moving decisions on the funding of the monarchy from the control of MPs to a group of three – the Prime Minister, Chancellor and Keeper of the Privy Purse.
“As a result, we have seen dramatically increased funding to one of the richest families in the country at the expense of taxpayers.
“In 2025 the King will receive an eye-watering 45% rise. This is at a time when nurses are receiving 5% and other key public workers are still fighting for a fair wage.
“We believe that this award is morally unjustifiable, while also both anti-democratic and plain wrong.
“The people of this country should have their say on royal funding through debate between their elected representatives.
“A £39m increase in royal funding (or for that matter, £250m for an unnecessary coronation or Charles’s £500m unpaid inheritance tax bill) may seem small to some, in the context of the Tory’s disastrous economic legacy, but it is still an important issue, as it is incumbent on those at the top to set an example – too often the monarchy is an exception to the rules that the rest of us have to follow.
“Thus, we urge you to revisit how the sovereign grant is calculated and restore MPs’ oversight of the process.”
The Labour Party were approached for comment.
