by Natalie Valios
It’s not often I’m in agreement with MPs, but I can’t believe there are many who would disagree with their calls for the coroner to scrap the inquest into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed. As the bill to taxpayers currently stands at an estimated £6m it’s not hard to see why the inquest has been called an “abuse of law” and a “scandalous waste of public money”, particularly in the light of Mohamed Al Fayed’s laughable claims in court this week.
Meanwhile, a couple of days ago the chief executive of Refuge was sitting on GMTV’s sofa explaining that the charity needs £10,000 every single day to fund their services to women and children escaping domestic violence.
And just last week research from the National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations revealed that one in 10 small charities providing vital support to children and their families might have to close because of a lack of funding and support.
Diana was renowned for her patronage of charities, and children were always one of the causes closest to her heart. The £6m could have been better spent in so many ways, not least going to deserving charities like these - and surely this would have been Diana’s preference, rather than being wasted on a tawdry inquest for no obvious good reason.
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