FabSwingers.com forum: The Speaker

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow claimed travel and accommodation expenses of £31,400 over the past year. The details include more than £13,000 for an official trip to Australia with an aide, and almost £1,000 for a car journey from Halifax to London. Other expenses claimed included;

?£524 for an official car to travel to Canterbury to see Archbishop Justin Welby enthroned in March 2013

?£172 for a drive to Carlton House Terrace, which is 0.7 miles from the Houses of Parliament, to open a conference on alternative and augmentative communication

?£168 for a one-way car journey from King's Cross station in London to Speaker's House after a day trip to Leeds in July 2013

?£367 for a drive to the University of Bedfordshire to deliver a lecture on reforming Parliament to ensure it was "a credible institution"

?£44 in long distance calls from Bercow's room during a visit to Vienna in 2013

?£158 for a car journey to Baroness Thatcher's funeral at St Paul's cathedral, 1.8 miles from the Commons, in April 2013

Value for money?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

money was a lot more expensive back in 2013 though

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By *uke olovingmanMan
over a year ago

Gravesend

Order . order ... Twenty domino pizzas and ten Indian takeaways

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

I don't understand why the car journey costs all appear like this. I assume he has a regular driver and car so why isn't there just an annual cost for the car?

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By *erbyDalesCplCouple
over a year ago

Derbyshire

Let's face it, the fact that he has been fighting the release of these detailed receipts for three years meant he knew it was indefensible.

Mr ddc

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I don't understand why the car journey costs all appear like this. I assume he has a regular driver and car so why isn't there just an annual cost for the car?

"
The contract is let to a private company who bill him and he claims.

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

I'm good and better value than the 9 pence charged for mileage by a Conservative minister, for driving a few yards. This was part of his almost £200,000 annual claim. Anyone so desperate and determined to claim like that, whilst middle and working class people have seen incomes drop, is not really fit to govern.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

John Cashcow?

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"I'm good and better value than the 9 pence charged for mileage by a Conservative minister, for driving a few yards. This was part of his almost £200,000 annual claim. Anyone so desperate and determined to claim like that, whilst middle and working class people have seen incomes drop, is not really fit to govern."
I am no accountant but the 9p claim would have cost a fair few quid to process?

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By *rightonsteveMan
over a year ago

Brighton - even Hove!

"Let's face it, the fact that he has been fighting the release of these detailed receipts for three years meant he knew it was indefensible.

Mr ddc"

The Speaker wanted to keep quiet?

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By *andom2chatMan
over a year ago

A Galaxy Far, Far Away & Spain

"Let's face it, the fact that he has been fighting the release of these detailed receipts for three years meant he knew it was indefensible.

Mr ddc"

THIS ^^^

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

The Speaker also claimed £983.40 for a one-way drive from Halifax to London on 6 November 2014, for a parliamentary outreach event which seeks to spread awareness of and encourage engagement with Parliament.............dedication!!

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By *nnyMan
over a year ago

Glasgow

Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Obnoxious little pratt

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender."
He could get the train, taxi or the bus?

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By *ouple in LancashireCouple
over a year ago

in Lancashire

"Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender."

or more likely as with most people he pays the driver then claims back the journey, except the figures are a disgrace..

channel 4 did a piece on it..

in any other walk of life its called fraud..

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By *iamondjoeMan
over a year ago

Glastonbury

Does this really surprise anyone?

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By *nnyMan
over a year ago

Glasgow

"Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender.He could get the train, taxi or the bus?"

Or walk. As could the Queen, the Cabinet and assorted senior civil servants and MOD types.

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By *nnyMan
over a year ago

Glasgow

"Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender.

or more likely as with most people he pays the driver then claims back the journey, except the figures are a disgrace..

channel 4 did a piece on it..

in any other walk of life its called fraud.. "

How do you think it's fraud?

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By *icketysplitsWoman
over a year ago

Way over Yonder, that's where I'm bound

"Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender.He could get the train, taxi or the bus?

Or walk. As could the Queen, the Cabinet and assorted senior civil servants and MOD types."

You and I both know those pavements are awfully busy. It can take 10 minutes just to cross the road.

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By *ouple in LancashireCouple
over a year ago

in Lancashire

"Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender.

or more likely as with most people he pays the driver then claims back the journey, except the figures are a disgrace..

channel 4 did a piece on it..

in any other walk of life its called fraud..

How do you think it's fraud?"

£7.60 to do the journey he claimed £172 for is what, theft?

must have been a severe shortage of black cabs near the palace on that particular day..

what would you call it..?

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By *ilberryMan
over a year ago

Scarborough

A government office pays me 25p a mile!

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By *nnyMan
over a year ago

Glasgow

"Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender.

or more likely as with most people he pays the driver then claims back the journey, except the figures are a disgrace..

channel 4 did a piece on it..

in any other walk of life its called fraud..

How do you think it's fraud?

£7.60 to do the journey he claimed £172 for is what, theft?

must have been a severe shortage of black cabs near the palace on that particular day..

what would you call it..?"

Anyone travelling on official business travels the way they're told to travel.

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By *nnyMan
over a year ago

Glasgow

"A government office pays me 25p a mile!

In a chauffeur driven car?

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By *ouple in LancashireCouple
over a year ago

in Lancashire

"Does this really surprise anyone?"

that some will try and defend the behaviour..?

yes

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By *iewMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

Angus & Findhorn

As a strong Conservative as I am, it is a shockingly arrogant buffoon would would decide to get into a car that he knows will charged a sit load more than a cab.

It's arrogance and it stinks.

If he was labour, ukip or any other fucker I would say the same

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By *iewMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

Angus & Findhorn

My typing is shocking before the spellcheck brigade start leaking precum or getting moist...

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By *ouple in LancashireCouple
over a year ago

in Lancashire

"Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender.

or more likely as with most people he pays the driver then claims back the journey, except the figures are a disgrace..

channel 4 did a piece on it..

in any other walk of life its called fraud..

How do you think it's fraud?

£7.60 to do the journey he claimed £172 for is what, theft?

must have been a severe shortage of black cabs near the palace on that particular day..

what would you call it..?

Anyone travelling on official business travels the way they're told to travel."

you either have an official car as part of the role eg; a minister or you claim the cost of the journey as per the rules laid out..

it wasn't an issue of a security risk whereby one as good practise would vary the normal route..

it was a journey for which by taxi would have cost 'us' less than a tenner with a tip bunged in..

what do you call it..?

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By *nnyMan
over a year ago

Glasgow

"Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender.

or more likely as with most people he pays the driver then claims back the journey, except the figures are a disgrace..

channel 4 did a piece on it..

in any other walk of life its called fraud..

How do you think it's fraud?

£7.60 to do the journey he claimed £172 for is what, theft?

must have been a severe shortage of black cabs near the palace on that particular day..

what would you call it..?

Anyone travelling on official business travels the way they're told to travel.

you either have an official car as part of the role eg; a minister or you claim the cost of the journey as per the rules laid out..

it wasn't an issue of a security risk whereby one as good practise would vary the normal route..

it was a journey for which by taxi would have cost 'us' less than a tenner with a tip bunged in..

what do you call it..?"

I call it you "claim(ing )the cost of the journey as per the rules laid out.."

I don't like it either but it ain't fraud and it ain't theft.

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By *he tactile technicianMan
over a year ago

the good lands, the bad lands, the any where you may want me lands

"Far be it for me to defend a Tory but Bercow doesn't actually get to keep the money. He has to pay the firm which supplies the car and driver.

A firm presumably chosen by HoC officials on the basis of an open tender."
exempt from the Nolan standards I shudder to guess, or just don't care as it aint his money

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

He should be using one of Boris's Bikes.

Cut down on the carbon footprint.

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By *ohnaronMan
over a year ago

london

Needs a three line whip.

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The Speaker - John Bercow