AFTER the revelation of plans to spend £8 million to hang a picture of King Charles in Scottish schools and public buildings, The National took to the streets of Glasgow to ask people for their opinions.
The consensus was pretty clear, with all those we spoke with thinking it wasn’t appropriate spending given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
One person said “we already know what he looks like”, while another said the money should be going to the NHS, education or combatting homelessness.
King Charles' so-called "sausage fingers" were also mentioned.
The portrait plans have been slammed by the SNP who are reportedly set to block the move, after the UK Government reportedly asked the Scottish Government for an “exhaustive” list of buildings that would qualify for a portrait.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said at an event in Glasgow on Monday: "I just think that it is not the appropriate use of public money from the UK Government, to demand that we spend time and effort giving them details of every single school, I think they asked for, so on and so forth."
Scottish Ministers have since responded formally to the Deputy Prime Minister’s request making clear that it would fall to UK officials to undertake work on portraits of the King.
Meanwhile, Donald Cameron, the Scottish Tories' constitution spokesperson, told The Telegraph that it would be "petty" if the plans were to be blocked.
He said: “It has always been entirely normal for schools, hospitals and government offices to have a picture of the monarch. And no one is being forced to take one, they’re simply being given the option.”
One of those we spoke with in Glasgow would seemingly disagree.
“Portraits in this day and age … we’re not living in the 1800s anymore,” he said incredulously.
