Scarcely the Old Feudal Spirit

An immigrant family business has been accused of bad faith and underpaying its staff, and this despite a small genetic connection to Britain's Head Boy himself. Staff at a Berkshire property belonging to the family of a Mrs Battenberg say they are paid less than the living wage; a spokesbeing confirmed this beyond all doubt by stating that serfs are kept in accordance with government guidelines. An "unsatisfactory pay offer" was accepted last year, on the understanding that additional payments would be considered this year; as is customary in such cases, the management seem to have considered the idea mainly as the chance for a patrician snigger ot two. There will now be a vote on withdrawal of "goodwill" (viz. unpaid) duties, which could mean that class war might break out in the very week when Mrs Battenberg's plump purple chum from Carlton Television is receiving due homage from the proles. It all seems frightfully inconvenient.