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John Bercow Office Expenses

occyoccy Posts: 65,333
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The speaker of the house of commons has raked up half million pounds in offices expenses over the last five years according to the Sun. John Bercow who is calling for reforms to the MPs expenses must have spent a fortune on posh pens and pencils etc.

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    SnowStorm86SnowStorm86 Posts: 17,273
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    MPs are loving their expenses and 11% pay rise while trying to convince the rest of the country there is no money left.
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    rusty123rusty123 Posts: 22,872
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    MPs are loving their expenses and 11% pay rise while trying to convince the rest of the country there is no money left.

    Is that the independantly proposed payrise that they're individually nearly all too scared to accept?
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    Biffo the BearBiffo the Bear Posts: 25,859
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    £100k a year on ... something. I wonder how many staff he's got? I can understand maybe an office assistant/PA on £20k and a political assistant on £25k or thereabouts. £10k rent maybe? I'm sure everything's accounted for, but I struggle to see beyond that.
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    ShaunIOWShaunIOW Posts: 11,335
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    rusty123 wrote: »
    Is that the independantly proposed payrise that they're individually nearly all too scared to accept?

    Probably the independent but members chosen by the MP's board and the proposed pay rise they're publically too scared to accept but are privately wringing their hands in anticipation of.
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    SnowStorm86SnowStorm86 Posts: 17,273
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    Why do these people get such luxurious expenses and pay increases? Why aren't other public services such as nurses and teachers given expenses or pay increases? Teachers have their pay frozen which means a pay cut in real terms as the cost of living continues to esculate. These greedy politicians truly are pigs at the trough. And yet they see fit to force cancer victims to have their pittence benefits stripped off them and sent to work in tesco for zero hour contracts. It is the blatent lack of fairness that makes the political class so monsterous.
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    occyoccy Posts: 65,333
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    Commons Speaker John Bercow has run up a staggering half a million pounds in office expenses in just five years, it has been revealed.
    Mr Bercow has incurred £495,592 in taxpayer-funded events, travel, clothes and other supplies since taking up the prestigious role in June 2009.
    This includes £100,000 on overseas jaunts and £26,000 in formal dresswear - with £3,700 spent on just two suits.
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    HildaonplutoHildaonpluto Posts: 37,697
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    £100k a year on ... something. I wonder how many staff he's got? I can understand maybe an office assistant/PA on £20k and a political assistant on £25k or thereabouts. £10k rent maybe? I'm sure everything's accounted for, but I struggle to see beyond that.

    Its over 5 years not one.
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    JillyJilly Posts: 20,455
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    No defender of Bercow but how does that compare with a 10 million pay off for a year of failure.
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    Andrew1954Andrew1954 Posts: 5,448
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    Are these only Bercow's expenses or the expenses of running the office of speaker? If the latter I can imagine that such an important office as that of the Speaker of the HoC could get through an average of £100k a year.
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    swingalegswingaleg Posts: 103,156
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    Andrew1954 wrote: »
    Are these only Bercow's expenses or the expenses of running the office of speaker? If the latter I can imagine that such an important office as that of the Speaker of the HoC could get through an average of £100k a year.

    Yeah, I think the Speaker is in a different position to the run of the mill MP

    I also believe that it is tradition that each Speaker makes some longlasting contribution to the fabric of the palace of Westmnster

    So you'll get a tabloid headline something like '100,000 pounds on painting the walls, shock, horror !!!!!1111'.........but when you look into it it'll be a redecoration of a great hall or something that meant to last for 200 years and be a work of historical importance
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    AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,504
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    occy wrote: »
    The speaker of the house of commons has raked up half million pounds in offices expenses over the last five years according to the Sun. John Bercow who is calling for reforms to the MPs expenses must have spent a fortune on posh pens and pencils etc.

    The expenditure does not seem excessive to me especially as the money did not go to him. It went to support the office of Speaker which cannot be done on the cheap. The only amount that I would query is £3442 for t.v. licences. Why are so many licences needed?
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    swingalegswingaleg Posts: 103,156
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    Annsyre wrote: »
    The expenditure does not seem excessive to me especially as the money did not go to him. It went to support the office of Speaker which cannot be done on the cheap. The only amount that I would query is £3442 for t.v. licences. Why are so many licences needed?

    that's only enough to buy around 24 TV licenses and there are over 1000 rooms in the palace of weststminster !
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    AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,504
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    swingaleg wrote: »
    that's only enough to buy around 24 TV licenses and there are over 1000 rooms in the palace of weststminster !

    My home has several rooms but I only need one t.v. licence.
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    swingalegswingaleg Posts: 103,156
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    Annsyre wrote: »
    My home has several rooms but I only need one t.v. licence.

    Let's say there are 1000 TVs in the palace...........can you have all of them on one licence ?..........even if they're all in different names ?

    I don't know
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    AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,504
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    swingaleg wrote: »
    Let's say there are 1000 TVs in the palace...........can you have all of them on one licence ?..........even if they're all in different names ?

    I don't know


    The t.v. licences apart I don't think that Bercow's expenses as Speaker are excessive.

    Does a hospital, for example, need several licences?
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    NosediveNosedive Posts: 6,602
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    Well I agree it does seem a trifle excessive. However, if it means he is hated by most of the westminster class and he wants to reform the theatre of prime minister's question time, then he's doing something right for the money.
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    gummy mummygummy mummy Posts: 26,600
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    I'm sure these expenses will be scrutinised to see if there is anything wrong with them.
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    occyoccy Posts: 65,333
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    Why can't he buy suits from his wages?
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    gummy mummygummy mummy Posts: 26,600
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    occy wrote: »
    Why can't he buy suits from his wages?

    Maybe he's claiming for suits instead of claiming for second home allowance.

    The new Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, revealed today that he will not claim the parliamentary second home allowance while in the post.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/new-speaker-john-bercow-will-not-claim-second-home-allowance-1714947.html
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    AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,504
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    occy wrote: »
    Why can't he buy suits from his wages?

    Soldiers and sailors don't buy their ceremonial suits.
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    PrestonAlPrestonAl Posts: 10,342
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    I'm finding it hard to have a go at the speaker without seeing a breakdown of the expenses.
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    AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,504
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    jmclaughjmclaugh Posts: 64,001
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    Sally's not cheap to run.
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    occyoccy Posts: 65,333
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    Is a suit a office equipment? I suppose in some way.
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    AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,504
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    occy wrote: »
    Is a suit a office equipment? I suppose in some way.

    It is a reasonable expense if it is ceremonial. Soldiers and policemen don't pay for their uniforms.
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