AT A time when the monarchy is on the ropes and republican sentiments are being sounded louder, Pendle Labour MP Gordon Prentice might get many a sympathetic ear for his call for the royal train to be scrapped.
And taxpayers may well be shocked by his disclosure that the seldom-used train costs them a staggering £136.30-a-mile to run.
But might royals-rapping Mr Prentice oblige the train-spotters among us with information on how much a mile the commoners who rule us at Westminster cost the taxpayer annually...with a comparison of the bill for MPs' car allowances and that for the royal train?
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article