Wednesday 1 December 2010

IS THE GOVERNMENT RUNNING A COUNTRY OR A COUNTRY CLUB


Excerpt from Hansard:

Matthew Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department and its predecessors spent on wine in each year since 1997. [12829]

Tim Loughton (Education): The accounting systems of the Department and its predecessors do not record information separately on this type of expenditure and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Any expenditure on wine is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

WHY?

It would only need a junior clerk to total up the money spent on wine for the last 13 years. Not, you would have thought beyond the capabilities of a government that can prosecute two wars at a time. They don't mind wasting money on wine; they do, however, have a problem wasting money on telling us how much of our tax has gone down their fat greedy necks. Who'd have guessed it?

Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to the public purse has been of (a) red wine, (b) white wine, (c) champagne and (d) fortified wine purchased for the Government wine cellar since his appointment. [26874]

Mr Bellingham (FCO): Government Hospitality buys wines when they are relatively less expensive, and stores them until they are ready to use. Government Hospitality has spent £25,043 on new stock for the cellar since May 2010, all of which has been on white wine only.

WHY?

Half a million people are losing their jobs; Pensioners and other housing benefit claimants are going to find themselves in real hardship because of cuts in their allowances; most, if not every, public service is going to be reduced.

Why is the government spending £25,000 of our tax money on wine? Who will drink this wine, and why, given the parlous state of the United Kingdom, does the government think it has the right to spend our taxes in this way?

I understand that State Dinners held by the Queen at Windsor might be expected to serve some wine, but that's the head of state. Why is the government serving wine? Is the mess we are in atributable to the fact that the government drinks itself stupid at lunch time and then conducts our business in the afternoon?

Can we have an end to this nonsense? If ministers want wine with their meals they should buy it themselves. Our pensioners can afford lunch never mind booze.

Bloody self important drunken gits.

Pics: (1) Is this what the cave at Downing Street looks like? (2) State Dining Room at Downing Street; (3) Well are we all in this together? What do you think?

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