Britain can ‘afford’ Thatcher’s funeral – Hague
Foreign Secretary William defends the cost of Margaret Thatcher’s funeral as it emerges that MPs attending today’s tributes to Britain’s first woman prime minister will be able to claim expenses.
The cost of the funeral next Wednesday will be revealed afterwards, but the Daily Mirror has estimated it could be as high as £10m.
The taxpayer is expected to foot most of the bill, with the Thatcher family agreeing to make an unspecified contribution.
Mr Hague said Britain could “afford” to cover some of the costs.
Speaking on BBC One’s Breakfast programme, he said: “When it comes to money, the rebate she negotiated for this country from the EU has brought us so far £75bn, which is twice the size of our annual defence budget.
“I think that puts money in perspective … so I think we can afford to contribute to a funeral.”
Ceremonial funeral
Margaret Thatcher is receiving a ceremonial funeral with military honours, in common with the Queen Mother in 2002 and Princess Diana in 1997.
She turned down the option of a full state funeral and fly-past on cost grounds, but the policing bill could still add up to £4-5m.
The funeral procession will travel from parliament to St Paul’s Cathedral, where the service will be held.
The two-mile route will be lined by servicemen and women from the army, navy and RAF, and the ceremony will be attended by the Queen, the first time she will have been to a former prime minister’s funeral since wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill died.
MPs and peers will have the opportunity to pay tribute to the former Conservative leader in a special session that begins at 2.30 and could go on till 10.00.
In contrast, 27 minutes were allocated for tributes to Churchill when he died in 1965, although Sir Winston received a state funeral. When Sir Edward Heath died in 2005, MPs spent 63 minutes paying tributes.
Expenses
MPs returning early from overseas visits will be able to claim up to £3,750 in travel expenses, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority said today.
This is because parliament is being recalled during the easter recess. The maximum £3,750 available to MPs is meant to cover the cost of returning to their holiday destination if they want to do so.
Boycott
Labour MP John Mann, who will not be attending, said yesterday: “I would have done it on Monday when parliament reassembles. I do not know why we are wasting taxpayers’ money on an additional session.”
Speeches will be made by Mr Cameron, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband, who has told his MPs to behave in a respectful manner.
John Healey, a former Labour minister, is boycotting the special session after accusing Prime Minister David Cameron of politicising the event.
His colleague David Winnick said it would be hypocritical if Labour critics of Baroness Thatcher remained silent during the session.