Over £100,000 a year for...

[Blasphemous]

.....answering letters and attending public events! And there are people being attacked for claiming benefits! Well there are a few here claiming an awful lot of 'benefits'! A nice little earner that was set up by the man who did feck all when he was in power... John Major! Some things never change!

Margaret Thatcher claims £535,000 for ex-PM duties.

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has claimed £535,000 of taxpayers' money over the last five years, government records have shown.

Baroness Thatcher, 86, who makes rare public appearances and suffers poor health, was paid from the public duties cost allowance available to ex-PMs.

Others to benefit have been her successor John Major, paid £490,000 in the last five years, and Tony Blair.

In 2008-9, Mr Blair claimed £169,076 - more than his Downing Street salary.

Since leaving office, Mr Blair, who ran the country for a decade from 1997, has claimed just under £273,000.

The system was set up by John Major in 1991, after one year in office, to reward former prime ministers for work including answering letters and attending public events.

In the past five years, the three former number 10 incumbents have cost the taxpayer in total more than £1.7m in public duty allowances.

The figures were revealed by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude following a written Parliamentary question from Tory MP Philip Hollobone.

Mr Maude said: "The public duties cost allowance is kept under review."

In 2005, doctors advised Lady Thatcher, who served three consecutive terms in office, that she should not make public speeches in the wake of some minor strokes.

But she still attends some public functions, including an address by the Pope during his state visit to the UK last year.

In September, she attended a party to mark former Defence Secretary Liam Fox's 50th birthday at his London apartment.

link

 

[Alarm]

Well all parties do this.

You run the (okay a laugh) country for a bit get death threats, warnings of kidnapping of your wife children uncles aunts and other threats.

Someone has to do it, wish I had the chance but such is life!

Stop being jealous, everyone grabs every penny they can.

 

[cantaloup63]

I have no objection to them claiming legitimate expenses for these public duties. I would, however, like to see a precise penny by penny breakdown of each expense. Given online facilities, this should be entirely feasible.

 

[EngStudent]

I have no objection to them claiming legitimate expenses for these public duties. I would, however, like to see a precise penny by penny breakdown of each expense. Given online facilities, this should be entirely feasible.

Can they claim for the cost of a computer and an internet connection to facilitate this?

 

[Paul_C]

I would, however, like to see a precise penny by penny breakdown of each expense.

Indeed. Given that we are expected to account for every penny of an expense and to justify it as a legitimate business expense just to claim it as being deductible against income tax, the politicians should certainly be held to no lesser standard when they're actually getting the full amount of that expense from the taxpayer. And, like our own expenses, it should be demonstrably for something which relates to their current duties in their job only; it should not be payable for entirely voluntary appearances all over the place which have nothing to do with their current job.

 

[enyam]

It should be payable for entirely voluntary appearances all over the place which have nothing to do with their current job.

She is advising Dave,he can't be making it all up by himself.

 

[joinerjohn]

When you realise that these expenses are on top of the very generous pension they receive for having been an MP and PM, then you have to question whether they should be paid any expenses at all.
Put it this way, when you retire and receive your pittance of a company pension, will your old employer pay your bus fare into town for a reunion with your old workmates, or a taxi to the company Christmas Bash?

Nah didn't think so.

 

[Alarm]

When you realise that these expenses are on top of the very generous pension they receive for having been an MP and PM, then you have to question whether they should be paid any expenses at all.
Put it this way, when you retire and receive your pittance of a company pension, will your old employer pay your bus fare into town for a reunion with your old workmates, or a taxi to the company Christmas Bash?

Nah didn't think so.

However their job does.

Sour grapes again?

 

[Blasphemous]

Well all parties do this.

Yes I know... and your point is?

You run the (okay a laugh) country for a bit get death threats, warnings of kidnapping of your wife children uncles aunts and other threats.

Someone has to do it, wish I had the chance but such is life!

If that's what you wish to do then get yourself elected and get in the brown nose queue.

Stop being jealous,

Jealousy has nothing to do with my feelings on this. I am MORE than happy to see someone do well, whether they've worked for it or won the lottery. My objection is that I'm funding their life AFTER they've left the job. I'm not interested in their dinners, appearances etc. If they want to turn up to some do then that's fine, let them do it at their own expense

everyone grabs every penny they can.

This is FAR from 'pennies'.

 

[Alarm]

Rather than quote and be anal, read the intent.
This has always gone on, we have always known about it. The ones who have cheated have been caught ( well most), and this goes on in every "workplace" trust me I have to install the covert cameras to stop it.

By all means make it more transparent, every penny accountable. But for gods sake stop getting excited or you`ll have a heart attack.

If you want it stopped write to your MP, because ranting here wont help

 

[Blasphemous]

If you want it stopped write to your MP, because ranting here wont help

Now I liked that response.

I'm not getting 'excited' Alarm, believe me, my ticker can't take excitement, but it pees me off when the likes of Thatcher is getting over a hundred grand a year... she's a walking cabbage! Sorry to be so blunt but the woman adds nothing to anything any more. As for John Major, he added nothing to anything when he was actually working in the HOC... we'll leave Blair out of this, it'll start a whole different/other discussion.

By the way, it hasn't always gone on. John Major started this little earner up in 1991... after his LONG illustrious time at number 10

 

[Alarm]

Glad to see you know this is just banter

Your correct JM did start this up, shame it was not stepped on. But now its allowed and what can we do?

 

[Blasphemous]

Glad to see you know this is just banter

Your correct JM did start this up, shame it was not stepped on. But now its allowed and what can we do?

Write to your MP you fool!

 

[cantaloup63]

I wonder why successive administrations didn't reverse the decision?

 

[joinerjohn]

Sour grapes again?

Not sour grapes at all Alarm. Mrs Thatcher is 86 now and attends very few functions per year. Yet over the last 5 yrs , has managed to claim just over £100,000 per year. She has an annual pension some low paid workers would die for.
John Major (who must be getting on a bit now) managed to claim just under £100,000 per year.
Tony Blair (still only 58 ) has managed to claim just over £50,000 per year in expenses, despite being a multi millionaire. He's also paid by the UN as Middle East Peace Envoy and receives quite a lot of money from his company , Tony Blair Associates.