Tranent, Wallyford and Macmerry ward councillor Lee-Anne Menzies has claimed the coronation of King Charles III could cost cash-strapped East Lothian Council more than £500,000.

King Charles III is set to be crowned on Saturday, May 6, with Monday, May 8 designated a bank holiday.

In a social media post, Ms Menzies explained why she would not be attending any coronation events in the county, nor taking the additional bank holiday.

And she outlined how the additional leave pay and lost productivity could cost the council significantly.

Said the SNP councillor: “Most importantly for us in East Lothian, there is no official estimate for the total cost of the coronation to us as a council.

“The additional leave pay alone will be around £150,000, with a possible further £350,000 cost to lost productivity.

“I don’t mind anyone having a day off, I just think Charlie and co have enough money to pay us the cost of this.

“At a time when your council are desperately trying to manage keeping all of the essential services running and are fighting to ensure no one loses their job, to have to pay out this money to celebrate one person’s inherited entitlement sticks in my craw and I can’t be part of that.”

Ms Menzies said she felt the overall cost of the coronation was far too much for the government to spend, labelling it “a cost-of-greed crisis”.

She said: “In my opinion, it is obscene that £120 million can be found to celebrate one man’s inheritance of enormous entitlement and untaxed personal wealth, but we can’t find additional money to eradicate poverty/foodbanks/warmth hubs, etc.

“We continue to call this a cost-of-living crisis but it is in fact a cost-of-greed crisis. The top one per cent, of which the royals form part, are continuing to grow their wealth exponentially, whilst our working poor are growing daily and our most vulnerable cannot afford the basics to get by.

“This, for me, should show us all that our society is broken and needs reset.

“Why, because of an accident of birth, can one family be entitled to so much tax-free wealth and still expect the rest of us to pick up the bill for their personal celebrations?

“I am happy for there to continue being a monarchy, despite me being a republican. I would just like to see it funded the same way that our essential third sector is currently funded.

“I will continue to support my communities in all they do but won’t attend any coronation celebrations as I find little to celebrate in this outdated and unfair feudal system.

“I won’t be taking the additional bank holiday either.”

Craig Hoy, Conservative MSP for South Scotland, labelled Ms Menzies’ comments as “childish”.

He said: “The coronation of King Charles III will be, for many people, a once-in-a-lifetime event and a moment in history last experienced many decades ago.

“As an elected representative, I had expected Councillor Menzies to respect the views of those within her ward, many of whom are wishing to celebrate this event and enjoy a well-earned bank holiday.

“Instead, Councillor Menzies has stooped to a childish and churlish attack on the coronation, something which reveals all we have sadly come to expect from many within the East Lothian SNP group.”

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “At the January meeting of East Lothian Council’s cabinet, it was agreed that council services would generally observe Monday, May 8 as an additional public holiday.

“Consultation took place with the joint trades unions, who were supportive of the proposal.

“The costs of this additional public holiday will largely be contained from within existing budgets, but some front line services will still be operating. There are payment rates associated with public holiday working, while cover arrangements may be required when employees take their entitlement at a later date. This will likely cost in the region of £150,000.”