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Sovereign Grant Bill

I know that the Bill is all about £35 million in the time of a recession. The truth is that people out there, notwithstanding what anybody else tells them and irrespective of this debate, will be saying, ““Here we are. We've got a pay freeze, inflation's going through the roof and energy prices are going up. Because of welfare reform, they're cutting disability allowance. Three thousand blind and disabled people have marched through London for their money, and yet, on one given day, they are able to find the money for the royal family.”” So, to go back chronologically to my story about the royal family, I was a bit of a kid, but then I got elected to Clay Cross council. I do not know what happened, but when I became chairman of the council, I got a big package, which turned out to be an invite to the royal garden party. I looked at it, and found they had included a little diagonal cross to put in the car—of course, I hadn't a car, a bank account or a telephone. I said to a mate of mine, ““You'd never believe the bumf that they've sent—all these different things for the royal garden party.”” He said, ““What did you do with it?”” and I said, ““I chucked it in t'dustbin.”” I said, ““There were even a thing to put in your car.”” He says, ““What colour were it?””—[Interruption.] No! He was asking what colour the pass was, not the car. He had seen one before, because he had been to the races to Cheltenham and Ascot and seen it. He says, ““Get that pass!”” I said, ““Well, it's in the dustbin,”” and he says, ““We've not emptied Wheatcroft close yet.”” So I got the pass out. I saw him after he had retired, and I said, ““Ay up, Joe, did you ever use that pass?”” ““Use it?”” he says, ““It's here in t'glove compartment. I've used it every year. I go straight into Royal Ascot, not just the royal enclosure.””