Lib Dems call for ancient Egyptian curse on Northampton Borough Council

Welcome to the silly season.

The Lib Dems have called for a curse to be placed on Northampton Borough Council. This is due to them deciding that a 4,000-year-old Egyptian statue of Sekhemka, valued at £2 million, should cease to be under municipal ownership sitting in a vault and should instead be sold by auction.

It is the Liberal Democrat opposition leader, Cllr Brendan Glynane who declared the council should be cursed.

He said:

“I‘ve read there is a curse attached to Sekhemka and if it should fall on anyone, it should fall on this administration for not having the courage to change their minds.”

The money raised will be spent on restoring Delapre Abbey and expanding the town’s museum.

Does Cllr Glynane want the statue to remain hidden from view? Or is he prepared to identify how he would finance the cost of security to keep it on display? Sekhemka in Egypt in 2,500 BC could have just snapped his fingers and got a few slaves to guard a statue. These days the process is more expensive.

It's all very well Cllr Glynane issuing curses but he has failed to put forward a credible alternative.

My only doubt is whether the council should use at least some of the proceeds to reduce its £32 million debt which costs £1.6 million a year in interest. Their shoe collection looks very jolly. But is smartening up their building really a priority?