John Bercow was supposed to be the reforming Speaker. He was going to sort out parliament, make it accountable to the people (erm, which it was supposed to be all along) and deal with the scandal of expenses.
But he obviously, like so many other people in Westminster, seems to think that what’s good for other people is not necessarily good for him.
It seems that Mr Speaker Bercow has never heard of trains. He has, however, heard of chauffeur driven limos, and uses them to great effect.
Mr Bercow has used cars for 111 journeys, including 21 within the SW1 postcode, where he could have walked.
A trip to Oxford cost us £833 (you can do it for around £10 on the bus), whilst his visit to Canterbury cost £558; Gloucester cost £632 as did a visit to the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff.
Amazingly a journey to South Kensington no more than 3 miles from the Commons, cost £151.
Additionally, as if there were no financial crisis in the country he has spent £15,600 on business class flights for himself, his wife and his staff, employed a spin doctor at £107,000 a year and spent £45,000 on altering and redecorating the Speaker’s House, his grace and favour home in the Palace of Westminster to make it nicer for his children.
Hello Bercow, could you try to live in the same world as the rest of us. You’re an MP for heaven’s sake, not some deity.
You can maintain the dignity of the office perfectly well on the train. It is how YOU BEHAVE that marks your chairmanship of the commons, not how you travel, or the style in which you live.
But he obviously, like so many other people in Westminster, seems to think that what’s good for other people is not necessarily good for him.
It seems that Mr Speaker Bercow has never heard of trains. He has, however, heard of chauffeur driven limos, and uses them to great effect.
Mr Bercow has used cars for 111 journeys, including 21 within the SW1 postcode, where he could have walked.
A trip to Oxford cost us £833 (you can do it for around £10 on the bus), whilst his visit to Canterbury cost £558; Gloucester cost £632 as did a visit to the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff.
Amazingly a journey to South Kensington no more than 3 miles from the Commons, cost £151.
Additionally, as if there were no financial crisis in the country he has spent £15,600 on business class flights for himself, his wife and his staff, employed a spin doctor at £107,000 a year and spent £45,000 on altering and redecorating the Speaker’s House, his grace and favour home in the Palace of Westminster to make it nicer for his children.
Hello Bercow, could you try to live in the same world as the rest of us. You’re an MP for heaven’s sake, not some deity.
You can maintain the dignity of the office perfectly well on the train. It is how YOU BEHAVE that marks your chairmanship of the commons, not how you travel, or the style in which you live.
Bercow is a traitor.
ReplyDeleteAn ex Tory who realised he wasn't good enough to get into the shadow cabinet, then forward he befriended the Labour crew --- and got elected speaker.
He is a traitor, a failure and I hope he either loses his seat or gets deselected. It was meant to be our turn, it was supposed to be a Tory speaker - not a slimy Labour puppet.
Dean,
ReplyDeleteYeah, but apart from that .....
Actually, he's following in the noble and honourable tradition set by the good Lard Martin.
Not that you're bitter or anything Dean...
ReplyDeleteIsn't the Speaker supposed to leave his political affiliation at the door? If a Speaker does the job properly shouldn't he or she be utterly neutral?
It's a pity John, that he didn't take to follwoing the tradition set by Betty Boothroyd.
ReplyDeleteThe excuse they seem to come out with for living in this sort of luxury is the need to keep up the dignity of the position.
Frankly I can't see what is dignified about spending a fortune of the taxpayers' money at this time of "all in it togetherness" (eww err, that sounds rude).
There's surely more dignity in catching a train to Cardfiff, second class, and saving money for the state.