Shouldn't the government have footed the bill?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....terans-ruin-them.html

Although the trustees of the Bomber Command Association raised £6.5 million needed to build the memorial, they are now faced with some of the cost of the unveiling ceremony which cost another £827,000, of which they have now to find £550,000.

Does this in anyway reflects a nations gratitude to the 55,573 who died in the service of Bomber Command?

[jackthehat]

Yes, they should.

No.

[Mamyalynne]

Absolutely they should.

No, it is an insult to their memory.

[friedgreentomato]

Yes
No

[Thatcherite]

Can someone tell me why it cost £827k to unveil it? I'd have done it for half that!

[emmie]

yes they damn well should, given they can give millions in foreign aid, get their money out of their pockets or pay back some of the expenses they stole.

[youngmafbog]

No, they should not.

827K to unveil is ridiculous and there are better things to spend our money on than lining the pockets of those clearly ripping the veterans off. Scale it down to something cheaper.

[emmie]

it's already been unveiled, the ceremony has been and gone, if you read the piece it will explain why these old chaps are worried.

[Zeuhl]

This was a state occasion - most of the Royals were there -
most of the cost should have been born by the state

the scale of the event (and hence the cost) was due to its importance to so many people

It also appears to have been an admin cock up to which govt depts were party - they should do the decent thing

This is not an ideal way to go about it but bearing in mind the veterans did the main job of paying for the monument any other outcome would be shameful.

[emmie]

it's a disgrace, the government should stop messing about and pay up.
These old chaps have paid, in financial terms and with their comrades,friends lives.

[Zeuhl]

I wonder if a 'clip' of the unveiling ceremony would be included in Betty's Christmas round up of '2012 a year of wonderful events'.

That can hardly do that if they're chasing the old boys for the bill!

[emmie]

i haven't as yet been down to the memorial but i will soon. It's not far and would like to pay my respects. I confess if i had the money i would certainly give it to them.

[Anngel]

£827000 for an unveiling ceremony. OMG someone had obviously not thought that through. Although I am sure any Brit under the age of 50 wishes for gratitude to be reflected, (I say 50 because that includes my age group) however, the government purse is not bottomless.

[Anngel]

Is it just me that finds the advert for Wargame 1942 on this page during this thread rather ironic. Maybe they should approach the makers of this game to foot some of the bill?

[emmie]

ann did you actually read the reason why the money is needed ?

[craft1948]

I was incensed when I read this article this morning. If I had the money I'd pay the bloody bill for them...............

[Zeuhl]

Ang

it did attract over 10,000 people so required stands, toilets, security, parking etc as with any major event.

Asking the families and VIPs to chip in £8 each would have been an option I suppose ....

Do the royal equerries carry that much cash?

[emmie]

as the article has stated the government can waste 40m on a botched Rail Franchise, but not fork out the half a million, it's more than a bloody disgrace. Suggest that all should read the whole article, almost 56 thousands lives lost in Bomber Command, so we owe them, as do the twerps in central government.

[chaptazbru]

Yes, they most definitley should.

[TTG]

India has probably said they need the money for another space mission.

[bazwillrun]

yet another instance where the people that govern the country should hold their heads in shame.

theyre happy allowing people who want to kill us and hate our very existence claim hundreds of thousands (probably millions if the true figures were known)in benefits for themselves and their families

theyd rather give billions away to foreign aid, yet people who actually fought and in a lot of cases died to give them the right to do it....not a chance of a penny