Tireless Queen is a priceless asset

THE FRIDAY THING: WITH millions squeezed into The Mall and hordes pressed up tight against the railings around Buckingham Palace, oozing respect and adoration for Queen Elizabeth II, the difference between the public perception of monarchy and ministers of government was as stark as it was embarrassing.

The people love their gracious queen to bits; their feelings about politicians, especially the U-turning, S-bending, self-serving, heckling and ranting lot are measured on an entirely different scale.

Many of the big players were at the jubilee events — Cameron, Clegg, Hague and their wives, but I did not see Milliband. Perhaps he was there in disguise. His tribe are of the Roundhead rather than the Royalist persuasion.

The jubilee events were magnificent; the support and behaviour of the crowds of people from all over the country, and, indeed, from many parts of the world, too, enjoyed what was surely the greatest free carnival ever.

There are those who have no time for monarchy; those who, heaven help us, would like us to become a republic. And while those who have a case when they talk of privilege and wealth aplenty, they cannot surely deny the phenomenal marathon of entertaining, hand-shaking, banquet-holding, bouquet-receiving, globe-trotting, smiling and putting a good face on the daily grind of contact with folk from every social strata, in all surroundings and all weathers and for 60 years.

Who else among us could and would have gladly put up with that life, that duty, that commitment and carried on doing it deep into their eighties? The entire nation and Commonwealth owe a debt of gratitude to Her Majesty that no amount of money could resolve.


FAR be it from me to come over all alarmist but you might share my ripples of concern when I report German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s latest dire warning to those of us not in the euro (thank heaven) that: “If the euro fails, Europe fails.”
And just as a little comforting reminder that Angela has all of us in her sights she adds: “No one can take another 50 years of peace for granted.” Maybe next time we see her she will be wearing a moustache and pointing to the heavens (and I don’t mean at Venus crossing the sun).

The inference is plainly that Angela believes that the euro is the super glue that could be used to force all European states into one big nation but can that really happen? There could be a new treaty and the Germans say that chubby Dave will have to sign up to it or else. Or else what, even the Germans are not saying, not in public anyway.

Europe seemed to get by quite well without Angela and without being tied into one currency or without being under one all-powerful government. I mean, as we are not in the euro (whether we are in sterling depends upon just where the big banks have put our money and on which green baize poker table it sits, curling up at the corners with fear) so what has the euro got to do with us? Well, let me just remind you that we have already said we will pay £12.5 billion (yes, billion) to bail out those countries who have spent all their euros on kebabs, Bacardi and Cokes and camels.

Why can’t countries simply burn the euros or throw them in the sea, print new money of their own, tell Angela and her crew where to put their fiskalpakt, devalue and start again with a currency of their own?


FINAL WORD: The Home Office is looking into the backgrounds of 500,000 people to make sure they are not terrorists, thieves or murderers and that it is safe to let them attend the Olympic Games. What a ruse. Just think of all the gold medals we could win if the Home Office mandarins barred overseas stars and just allowed in the duffers. Not sporting, I know but we could melt down all that gold and pay off the national debt.

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