"Rail Minister Spends 80k A Year To Be Driven To Work"

[Roverman]

There's nowt wrong with the man going to work by car, after all a lot of rail workers do just that! I think the main issue here is that he expects US to pay for it!

Intrigued to know where this 'buy British' attitude came from, certainly didn't exist when MG Rover were on the skids!

 

[yorksrob]

Am I right in thinking that Ministers are banned from taking the box on the train with them, regardless of whether they actually open it or not ?

 

[VauxhallandI]

And just imagine what would happen if a train load of commuters worked out who he was! Or read the contents of his red box.

hock:

 

[DarloRich]

And just imagine what would happen if a train load of commuters worked out who he was! Or read the contents of his red box.

Aw didums - the high and mighty minister of state amongst the great unwashed who pay his wages. It would be awful for him to have to be subjected to a number of people offering him advice, perhaps in a blunt, coarse, industrial, nay common, way about how his parties polices affect the day to day lives of ordinary people.

Such a thing is almost to horrible to contemplate so it is much better that decent hard working people fund his private travel at a time of such financial hardship in the real world.

 

[90019]

Intrigued to know where this 'buy British' attitude came from, certainly didn't exist when MG Rover were on the skids!

Tony Blair's personal car was a Rover 75, a car the government seemed to rather like.

 

[Roverman]

Yes, officially he had one but I've never seen him in one other than when they launched the car in 1999. They are a lovely car I owned one of the early pre-production models for a time.

If every Tom, Dick and Harriet in Whitehall want a car because they can't be seen dead on a train then its a shame they weren't all kitted out with an MG Rover!

There is also somewhere a very scary picture of Alex Salmond leaning on a Yellow MG ZR.

 

[90019]

If every Tom, Dick and Harriet in Whitehall want a car because they can't be seen dead on a train then its a shame they weren't all kitted out with an MG Rover!

IIRC, they had quite a few 75s.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

A reading of opinions offered on this thread would make some people think that the matter of the title of this thread is something only ever seen in Britain. Has anyone looked at what occurs in other Western countries and also in the top echelons of the European Community?

Sir Humphrey Appleby of "Yes, Minister" fame would have no trouble whatsoever in immediately citing his views as why the status quo should remain, in the long and convoluted way that was invariably his want.....

 

[Andyjs247]

I know for a fact that Norman Baker who is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport also I believe carries a red case, but he travels quite happily on the train up from Lewes in Sussex, for which he is MP.

And the Sunday Mirror moan about him claiming expenses for going by train -
First class hypocrite: Minister defending huge rail fare rises claims £7,000 in journeys from the taxpayer

Personally I'm glad that he does go by train, even if his boss doesn't.

 

[TDK]

Point of order the Rail Minister doesn't pay the 80K a year to have a chauffeur driven car - We as tax payers do.

So one ministers exclusive transport per year is worth 2 and a bit nurses per year

The British public have very short memories 80k is peanuts in comparison to this: Yes it says 1 BILLION

"Conservatives today accused Labour of wasting more than £1 billion of taxpayers’ money on furnishing and decorating Government offices during their eight years in power.

The bill included £50,000 on plants and £82,000 for relocating a fitness suite at John Prescott’s Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as £40 million on furniture across nine departments, according to figures published in the Sunday Telegraph."

and it doesn't end there see this link from the mail of all papers:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ury-hotels-meals-restaurants-just-months.html

 

[DarloRich]

The British public have very short memories 80k is peanuts in comparison to this: Yes it says 1 BILLION

"Conservatives today accused Labour of wasting more than £1 billion of taxpayers’ money on furnishing and decorating Government offices during their eight years in power.

The bill included £50,000 on plants and £82,000 for relocating a fitness suite at John Prescott’s Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as £40 million on furniture across nine departments, according to figures published in the Sunday Telegraph."

and it doesn't end there see this link from the mail of all papers:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ury-hotels-meals-restaurants-just-months.html

A total and utter disgrace.

Just like the tax fiddlers ,sorry tax planners, that the Tories are doing such a great job in hunting down and the lax tax regime for the natural Tory ,sorry that should read rich. ( two can play at that game )

 

[6Gman]

I know for a fact that Norman Baker who is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport also I believe carries a red case, but he travels quite happily on the train up from Lewes in Sussex, for which he is MP.

Which rather undermines the views of some that "all politicians are in it for themselves ... feathering their nests" etc etc

Funnily enough, I was able to give Mr Baker's office some (rail) travel advice a few weeks ago for a journey he was making.