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Pass the bubbly!

(32 Posts)
papaoscar Mon 08-Dec-14 16:45:41

Noticed this in the Mirror the other day. Found it hard to believe:

"A Tory peer who slammed poor people for using food banks is on the House of Lords committee that spent £250,000 on champagne since David Cameron has been in office. Baroness Jenkin has apologised after blaming a dramatic increase in demand for emergency food assistance on a lack of cookery skills. Yesterday we told how pampered peers at the House of Lords refused to cut their catering budget after buying more than 17,000 bottles of bubbly costing £260,000."

Jane10 Mon 08-Dec-14 16:48:26

OMG- you couldn't make it up!!

Riverwalk Mon 08-Dec-14 17:04:53

Let them eat porridge!

soontobe Mon 08-Dec-14 17:07:32

The people at the top need a voters' rocket put under them.
That is why I am still seriously thinking of voting UKIP. I dont even like UKIP much, but I cant see any other way to send a shock wave to Westminster.
And they can get the shockwave within 6 months.

Something needs to be done. And fast.

absent Mon 08-Dec-14 17:36:08

soontobe Peers are not elected. Your vote is irrelevant to them.

soontobe Mon 08-Dec-14 17:41:34

Ah yes. Silly me.

soontobe Mon 08-Dec-14 17:51:56

Changed my mind again. I think I was right the first time.
Who is in chanrge of the Lords? Is it not the party that is in power? Or have I got that wrong?

rosequartz Mon 08-Dec-14 18:11:20

They are handpicked by political parties as far as I can tell. Each trying to get more and more of their own side into the Lords and it is expanding.

They have only been useful on one occasion as I recall and that was years ago.

I think they are worse now than when we had the hereditary peers quite honestly.

granjura Mon 08-Dec-14 18:20:57

Disgusting- shame of them, In it together - my foot !

But Soontobe, be careful what you wish for.

absent Mon 08-Dec-14 18:26:28

There are still some hereditary peers, plus a bunch of bishops.

annodomini Mon 08-Dec-14 18:28:29

Snouts in trough!

soontobe Mon 08-Dec-14 18:28:31

I know granjura.
I think if there was about 40 UKIP MPs elected, that would be a large enough number to shake the status quo. But not enough to do much damage??

absent Mon 08-Dec-14 18:32:25

The House of Commons also has a very fine wine cellar and I have no doubt that MPs of all persuasions have been know to quaff a glass or two from time to time. I resent their subsidised restaurants as well as their subsidised bars, although I recognise that easily available food during late night sittings is probably necessary. Wouldn't a sandwich do?

granjura Mon 08-Dec-14 18:37:34

But that is the problem- if too many feel as you do and vote UKIP- what then? Gives me the heebyjeebies.

NfkDumpling Mon 08-Dec-14 18:41:51

The SNP may get more MP's too. They hate the Conservatives and Labour isn't keen on them. We could end up with a coalition of UKIP, SNP and Greens! Now that would be interesting!

GrannyTwice Mon 08-Dec-14 19:43:50

I can't believe for one minute that the Greens and the SNP would form a coalition with UKIP

whitewave Mon 08-Dec-14 19:59:04

I am beginning to despair with our form of government. What with this and all the various scandals. You would be hard pushed to find a group of 600 people where so many of them were into dodgy dealings including fraud, sex scandals, violence, suppression of evidence relating to child sex scandals, friendship with dodgy characters - the list goes on and on. That is just the ones we elect, and like idiots we fork out more for un-elected bods who only have to turn up and sign in to get something like £300 per day for doing sod all, and a rather nice little wine to go with it.

soontobe Mon 08-Dec-14 20:06:44

I can't believe for one minute that the Greens and the SNP would form a coalition with UKIP

I was incredulous when the liberals chose to hook up with the conservatives.
So I am of the opinion that any of them could, and probably would, hook up with another party.

I assume it is about power. And egos. And more money. And expenses. And they might be able to afford private schooling for their kids? And perceived status. And maybe european jobs afterwards.
And I have probably missed off a couple of things. Their wives or partners would like it?

whitewave Mon 08-Dec-14 20:08:29

Yes soon but they would never get voted in again, imagine voting green and ending up with UKIP as a partner. There would be riots!!!

soontobe Mon 08-Dec-14 20:19:44

But do the leaders themselves care more about themselves, or their party?
I presume for instance, that Clegg will run off to Europe in the not too distant future.

I dont know who the leader of the Greens is.
But I suppose a Green leader may care more about the philosophy of being green, then a liberal would about liberalism?

Agus Mon 08-Dec-14 20:20:30

Also, regardless of the fact that smoking in public places is banned in the UK, Westminster still has a 'smoking' lounge. A loophole they managed to find by declaring that Westminster was not a public place. I wonder who helped them to legal speak their way out of that one!

Another, one rule for them etc. United Kingdom? hmm

soontobe Mon 08-Dec-14 20:21:49

And wouldnt the leader of the greens point out, probably quite rightly, that they would get more of what they want through parliament, so it is beneficial to the green party has a whole to be in a coalition that is in power?
I dont think you are thinking like a politician whitewave! tchwink tchgrin

whitewave Mon 08-Dec-14 20:23:46

Thank the lord soon tchsmile

durhamjen Mon 08-Dec-14 21:02:49

There is one member of the House of Lords who cares.

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/local/northdurham/durham/11650849.Former_Bishop_of_Durham___my_shock_at_plight_of_Britain_s_hunger_stricken_poor/?ref=eb

GrannyTwice Mon 08-Dec-14 21:16:59

The Lib Dems cover quite a range of political views from the Orange Book MPs like David Laws who is practically a Conservative to ones closer to Labour. The SNP and the Greens are nowhere near UKIP - I coukd see specific policy issues the three might agree on such as abolition of the bedroom tax but a coalition is quite a different issue. Simpl not possible