Barometer | 4 May 2017

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’.

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Matthew Lynn

Spain will regret its 100 per cent expat property tax

— 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