Spend, spend, spend
London mayor Sadiq Khan ended support for the Garden Bridge, probably killing it off. How are other public projects going?
— Manchester City Council spent
£3.5 million blocking a right of way with a glass pod and iron gates likened to Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’.
— Birmingham City Council proposes to spend £10 million on a water feature and new lights in Centenary Square.
— Trafford Council spent £16,000 on a stone in Altrincham bearing the words ‘market’ and ‘1290’.
— Since 2005, Belfast City Council has spent £104,650 on portraits of its lord mayors.
Gap years
Emmanuel Macron’s wife is 24 years older than him. How unusual is this?
— In 2001, 4 per cent of UK couples had husbands more than 15 years older and 4 per cent had wives over eight years older.
The US has more detailed figures
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in