If you’re struggling to make ends meet (yet another Jubilee thread- sorry).

[MerryLeg]

Full disclosure- I’m not British and don’t live in the UK so wasn’t interested in seeking out a way to watch the full Jubilee celebrations, but I did catch some clips online, read about it in online papers, and saw some coverage on the news.

Overall, I don’t have particularly strong feelings towards the British royal family (as an institution, some individuals such as Andrew are a different story). The concept of a monarchy is foreign to me, so I don’t take too much notice of the gossip or drama.

I saw some clips from the concert and the drone show was really cool. The bit I saw showed a corgi in a crown. Very cute, but I can only imagine the cost. I also read on here about children being given a commemorative book (think one thread mentioned that coating £12m?). Add everything in, and the government has spent a huge amount of money.

There'll be arguments for and against. People will say that the monarchy brings in a lot of tourist income- I’ve been to London plenty of times and have gone to Buckingham Palace etc, but then again, I’ve also been to Versailles and Schönbrunn and neither France nor Austria have a monarchy now, but still benefit from the tourism aspect.

What really hit me during the clips I was watching was the sheer amount being spent. When I was watching the drone corgi, I was enamored with it, but then thought about how I’d feel if I was watching in a cold house while struggling to pay my gas or electric bill, relying on food banks to feed my children, or stuck in a B&B while waiting on housing.

Or does an event like this lift the mood so much, that people see it as a mental/wellbeing boost?

I'm not saying that people who are struggling financially are some form of Pando hive-mind, but wanted to ask-

If you’re struggling to make ends meet, were you happy to see so much spent on the Jubilee celebrations?

I enjoyed it a little. Mostly it gave me some direction for activities with the kids over the holidays. But looking at the deprivation around me, it felt weird. Celebrating a woman who has the best healthcare in the world reach a very old age, when the NHS being overstretched and unable to offer proper care led to my Grandmother dying sooner than she should have.

I just don't have it in me to celebrate the rich being able to live long fulfilling lives, when so many of them are in part responsible for things that have led to a huge gap in wealth distribution. Which in turn makes long fulfilling lives so difficult for those who aren't born with their privilege. I mean when working families are commonplace in food banks, how can we celebrate royalty existing?

But lots of the money was going towards industries decimated by covid- the creative industries, shops & pubs benefitted from the jubilee as well as the travel industry. It was also accessible for people to watch, okay in person needed to pay for travel and those without a TV license couldn't watch it live but lots was uploaded to YT etc.

This. One day the little kids who saw this will tell their grandchildren about it. There will never be another platinum jubilee. My gran was 13 at Victoria’s diamond jubilee and I remember her telling me about it, she was well chuffed because I was born in Coronation year.

I enjoyed having extra day off work, but I didn't enjoy the cost spent on the celebrations and would rather it was spent on the people of the country who need it. Yes celebrate the queen if you like but how much did the sky corgie cost? Spend less on the rich and more on the poor.

Not a journalist.

Can’t see an article about the Jubilee days later getting too much attention, especially in light of the political shenanigans yesterday.

Its actually a relatively tiny amount of money, and in many ways the money flows back into the economy. People buy stuff. Food, booze, jubilee picnic kit, union Jack bunting etc. Pubs will have had staff doing extra shifts (money! Yay!). All those people running those events, this has been their job for months getting it all sorted. Take it away and you take that job away.

If people dont do things, have fun, buy things, celebrate, a whole load of jobs disappear.

@StageRage

It was 38p per household, public spending, I think.

Can you do a bit more than think, maybe find a source?

I think shit is blue but it's not...

So you have no interest in US school shootings, Brazilian deforestation, the invasion in Ukraine, fashion at the Oscars etc because none of those things happen in your country?

You seem to have created a very small world for yourself.

If there were referendum tomorrow, I'd vote to retire the royal family - but even I can't get worked up about the money spent here aspect.

It's tiny compared to the billions wasted by the current government. Or even the hundred of millions that will go as £400 to 2nd and 3rd homeowners later this year.

It was as inclusive as possible, on the whole - so town, village and street events, TV coverage, fly bys and open tickets etc meant lots of people got some joy (if they wanted it).

And that £27m+ goes straight back into the economy and helps support industries that were hit by covid, along the way.

The way the aristocracy (inc royals) and super rich (ahem, Dyson) lock us out of access to the vast majority of the land across the country in the name of preservation whilst conducting activities on that land that is anything but... now THAT I could get on a soap box about!

Lifting the mood of people who are choosing between food and fuel. Excellent.

Seriously though, the money spent on this was absolutely ridiculous, irrespective of where it would have gone otherwise.

We are struggling financially but I took my kids to the local street party, there was some entertainment for the kids. It was a day out that my kids would otherwise not have because we simply cannot afford it. It costs a lot more than one pound to take your kids on a day out so I see its value for money.

Furthermore, I do think it needs to be acknowledged that the Queen has spent 70yrs on the throne.

I am not British either.

Whereabouts are you op?

I have no issue with jubilee celebrations

I enjoyed the party we had here with neighbours, I assume people enjoyed their take on it if they did stuff

Touching on your point re Versailles etc I’d rather we had the Queen & family in Buckingham Palace etc than oil magnets from Russia & the Far East - our Tory govt would blatantly sell off everything they could to the highest bidder and we’d be fed some shtick about it benefiting the Country because we didn’t have to pay for future upkeep.

Sorry - should say Middle East above but you get my drift.

Honestly can’t imagine looking at another country I am not from or live in and having an opinion on wether they should or should do something.

I was on the bones of my arse at the last jubilee. I get we have a cost of living crisis so more people are in that situation. But many of us already were years ago. No one thought to think about how we felt about it. People struggling to heat their houses isn’t a new thing. It’s the numbers of people doing it and the demographic of people who are doing that’s causing the outage.

however, during the last jubilee we attend a free event near us. The kids had a fab day out which cost very little.

I still live in a fairly deprived area, despite being better off now. And there were loads of events that families could join in. Lots of the families in attendence are really struggling. I know because I run the local rugby club and they have subsidised fees, which we do so kids ar WNot priced out of playing.

The kids and their parents looked happy they had fun. They didn’t have to worry about spending money. We had, had donations to to pay for food, so everyone was helping themselves. Lots of events will provide good for lower income families here but many are to embarrassed to claim it and usually either don’t bother attending or still pay out.

If anything, it brought back a bit of community spirit that was lost during lockdown.

I couldn’t give a shit about the RF, but it was a lovely weekends and, some lovely respite from all the shit.

how much did the sky corgie cost?

Who knows how much that fabulous light show cost? Whatever it was, the money was used to pay wages, which were then taxed so at least 20% of it went straight back into the Treasury which will probably waste it. If you want to get het up, complain about the money Johnson’s bunged his mates, starting with the £37 billion that went Dido Harding’s way.

I worked over the entirety and didn't watch any of the footage. None of us were forced to get involved.

What I did see was plenty of community events, either being set up or on social media. Potluck street parties, family day at the local church etc. I think many celebrated in a frugal way.

Think it was a good event; it also acts as a showcase for Britain- the drones were amazing (and they highlight Britain's tech and creative industries). The concert and the pageant highlighted Britain's achievements in sport and music throughout the Queen's reign (and felt like at times; were trying to be genuinely inclusive).

I will never understand the concept of celebrating someone who rules over you via accident of birth.

Actually what I find more distasteful is the amount the celebrities earn. All the single use costumes etc seems like a waste of money to me but hey that's just me.

I enjoyed it and thought it was money well spent at exactly the right time for a celebration.

Millions are wasted every year by the government on all kinds of useless projects and contracts, I am angrier about that than the money spent on the jubilee celebrations which brought a lot of happiness to a lot of people.
If the government hadn't spent it there is no guarantee they wouldn't have wasted it in other ways!

Not a journalist.

just a very naughty boy.

I think it was morally wrong, insensitive and in very poor taste to spend such amounts on the event. I’m really quite disgusted by it yo be honest and it makes me feel ashamed to be British.

No, I'm really pissed off about it to be honest.

When we were told the universal credit uplift was unaffordable to see the amount spend on the jubilee is a huge kick in the teeth.