Am I alone in finding this so tawdry?

MissAdventure

I really don't remember all these vociferous threads about Boris and freebies, had never seen anything about Sunak and helicopters until recently.

Where are these threads?

I can remember threads criticising other things during the tory govt, but freebies, not really, apart from how much was spent on wallpaper.

And there was the tree house.

foxie48

Matter of opinion GG13 and happy to disagree.

A fireman, police officer, nurses, doctors and ambulance workers have difficult lives/jobs …

Really?
Perhaps not all of those have stressful jobs, but I would think the majority do.

Oh dear, just heard an interviewer trying to get Starmer to admit to how bad it looks. He is, sadly, disappointing me more quickly than Blair. Come on, Labour, you can do better than this!

I really don't remember all these vociferous threads about Boris and freebies, had never seen anything about Sunak and helicopters until recently.

Where are these threads?

I can remember threads criticising other things during the tory govt, but freebies, not really, apart from how much was spent on wallpaper.

GrannyGravy13

Good post.
If any of the posters on here or elsewhere have no problem with freebies, why were they so vociferous in condemning BJ, or Sunak, or indeed any politician for doing it.
Re Prime ministers, with their rent free accommodation, double salaries and unlimited subsistence allowances -paying them more, is like a rather sick joke.

Matter of opinion GG13 and happy to disagree.

foxie48

Ronib I don't have a negative opinion either I am merely describing how it was reported in the media. Actually, unlike most on here I don't have a problem with donations to individuals as long as there is nothing that interferes with the MP's impartiality.
MPs have a difficult life and the salary isn't great. It may seem so to many but it's really not and I think we should either pay them more and stop the individual donations (which is a cost to the public purse) or we should accept that donations to individuals, as long as properly declared, are perfectly OK, whatever they are used for (provided its legal).

Blimey!

They knew what the salary was before they put themselves up for election,.

Nobody is forced to be a MP

If they didn’t realise hat being a MP is as you put it a difficult life then they shouldn’t be in the job!

Nobody in business (and that is what politics is) gives anyone anything without the thought of being remembered when they need something

A fireman, police officer, nurses, doctors and ambulance workers have difficult lives/jobs …

Yes GG13

Starmer is the PM, and in depth scrutiny comes with the job.
And if in depth scrutiny reveals him to be doing something he condemned others for doing, or in this case, things GNs condemned others for doing, then he’s in the wrong for the same reasons they were.

eazybee

^I am disappointed at the mess we are in. A green trouser suit is the least of our worries right now, in my opinion.^

It isn't the green trouser suit that is the problem, it is the person wearing it.

Oh dear.

Ronib I don't have a negative opinion either I am merely describing how it was reported in the media. Actually, unlike most on here I don't have a problem with donations to individuals as long as there is nothing that interferes with the MP's impartiality.
MPs have a difficult life and the salary isn't great. It may seem so to many but it's really not and I think we should either pay them more and stop the individual donations (which is a cost to the public purse) or we should accept that donations to individuals, as long as properly declared, are perfectly OK, whatever they are used for (provided its legal).

I think it’s perfectly acceptable for the prime minister to use helicopters- it probably saves time in a very hectic schedule. In fact, helicopters are always flying over my house…. It’s becoming quite busy!

foxie48

Mollygo because of the way it's been reported in the media. Sunak was pilloried for using tax payers money to pay for helicopters, the fact that vile Hester (who supplied him with free transport by helicopters) was donating so much cash to the Tories and the fact he seemed unwilling to travel even fairly short distances by car or train. It was not about accepting donations of free helicopters.
Farage's recent trip to the US was mainly report in terms of the purpose of his trip, when he made a joke in his address to the Reform conference about Starmer's glasses, the Independent brought up his £30+K trip to the US but it wasn't big news and I notice no one has commented on my posts when I've raised this use of donor's money to put Clacton on the world stage, which tbh I find hilarious!

I think it’s because Nigel Farage isn’t the PM. and little chance of ever being elected as such. It was reported, and discussed on GN.

Rishi Sunak could have and in my opinion should have used other forms of transport, he is no longer the PM, it was in the press and on GN, at the time.

Sir Starmer is the PM, and in depth scrutiny comes with the job.

Eliminate freebies as I suggested up thread, simples.

Mollygo because of the way it's been reported in the media. Sunak was pilloried for using tax payers money to pay for helicopters, the fact that vile Hester (who supplied him with free transport by helicopters) was donating so much cash to the Tories and the fact he seemed unwilling to travel even fairly short distances by car or train. It was not about accepting donations of free helicopters.
Farage's recent trip to the US was mainly report in terms of the purpose of his trip, when he made a joke in his address to the Reform conference about Starmer's glasses, the Independent brought up his £30+K trip to the US but it wasn't big news and I notice no one has commented on my posts when I've raised this use of donor's money to put Clacton on the world stage, which tbh I find hilarious!

Foxie
Casdon totally agree and tbh I am struggling to understand why it's less acceptable to be bought some decent expensive clothes to wear for work and for public occasions than it is to have first class air tickets, expensive hotels or the use of a private helicopter given to you.

But who are you accusing of saying any of those things were/are right?
At the time, it was said they were wrong, so why is it right now regardless of the cost.
That’s very Starmer speak for “wrong if you’re doing it, but OK if I do it”.

eazybee

^I am disappointed at the mess we are in. A green trouser suit is the least of our worries right now, in my opinion.^

It isn't the green trouser suit that is the problem, it is the person wearing it.

In what way is that?

I am disappointed at the mess we are in. A green trouser suit is the least of our worries right now, in my opinion.

It isn't the green trouser suit that is the problem, it is the person wearing it.

GrannyGravy13

Casdon

Tell us specifically what you mean GrannyGravy13?

It’s more of the surprise of some posters that the media and GN members are picking up on the hypocrisy of KS and his MPs, and publishing the details of freebies of course the Government will be scrutinised.

After all since the beginning of GN we have had the same applied to the Conservatives, which some posters appear to have forgotten.

I do remember, and understand what you’re saying, of course it was bound to be the case that the tables would be turned post election, and any errors by the new government would be picked up by those who don’t support them. As long as people differentiate between the facts of the case and their views about individual politicians I’ve got no issue with it.

Stop all freebies for all MPs

YES

Stop all freebies for all MPs.

Monetary donations toward election campaigns only, and they have to be itemised for what, where and when the money was used.

Mollygo 👏👏👏

You are correct, if KS and his front bench hadn’t continuously commented on and berated the Conservatives for accepting freebies this would have been a non-story.

It’s the hypocrisy I find distasteful.

But GrannyGravy13, the selective amnesia won’t let those suffering from it remember that.
Actually, I’m confused. If anyone is arguing that they can’t remember that, does it matter?

It happened, and I do remember, but as long as Starmer has agreed it’s wrong and he and his cabinet shouldn’t do it, it doesn’t matter to me if people claim they can’t remember.
For me it’s more important that MPs won’t continue to accept freebies, and the media will be keeping a close eye on that.

😁

Casdon

Tell us specifically what you mean GrannyGravy13?

It’s more of the surprise of some posters that the media and GN members are picking up on the hypocrisy of KS and his MPs, and publishing the details of freebies of course the Government will be scrutinised.

After all since the beginning of GN we have had the same applied to the Conservatives, which some posters appear to have forgotten.

I haven’t forgotten anything about the past 14 years. At this stage of his PM’ship Johnson was attempting to illegally prorogue parliament

Tell us specifically what you mean GrannyGravy13?