Is it April 1st?

Gordon Booth · 14-10-2015, 15:56

'I don't believe it!'

Serco apologises after hiring stretch limo for asylum seekers - BBC News

cashman · 14-10-2015, 15:59

Oh i do, theres that many dickhead do-gooders about these days.

Eric · 14-10-2015, 16:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

Oh i do, theres that many dickhead do-gooders about these days.

Oh for the good old days (ok, I'm an old fart; so, I'm allowed to say that

) when doing good was simple. You did what was right. Simple. On the occasions I forgot what was right, I got my arse tanned. But the "dickhead do-gooders" just don't get it. They seem to be suffering from inter-rectal cranial insertion.

Eric · 14-10-2015, 16:18

Oh ... and to answer the question: In a PC world, every day is April 1st.

Gordon Booth · 14-10-2015, 16:25

My only concern is that after their free hotel, with full board and spending money in London and a stretch limo for transport, they don't feel let down by what Manchester has to offer.
After all, they obviously do have standards and expectations!

Wynonie Harris · 14-10-2015, 17:13

So what?

Serco certainly aren't "do-gooders". They're a private company who have been contracted at a pre-negotiated fee to provide a service (because ever since the days of Thatcher, successive governments have contracted out more and more of the state's functions to private companies). Even if the company had decided to take them in the back of a Commer van, it wouldn't have made a scrap of difference to the amount the taxpayer forks out to Serco.

Still, it's a good story (which I see has been splashed all over the toilet paper that masquerades as the Daily Mail) and it diverts folks' attention from the fact that the government are dismantling the NHS and pushing thousands of ordinary working families into hardship by cutting tax credits, while they reward their rich mates.

A total non-story in my view.

DaveinGermany · 14-10-2015, 18:39

Should've given them travel warrants & let them travel by public transport on the cheapest route to boot, if it's good enough for squaddies (and it was in my day) it's more than good enough for these people.

hyndburner · 14-10-2015, 19:10

Its not April Fools Day. That came the first time any PUBLIC service was put out to PRIVATE tender.

Don't blame SERCO. They are contracted to provide a service to the Home Office, and in this case, it made commercial sense to hire a stretch limo. Might not be the cheapest option, but probably the only one to avoid penalty payments.

We've had it over the years with a putrid privatised rail network, a disastrous water gas and electricity service.............and don't even get me started on bin collections, street cleaning and housing repairs. an unmitigated disaster all round.

Public Services belong in ONE place - providedby PUBLIC enterprises.

Guinness · 14-10-2015, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon Booth

'I don't believe it!'

Serco apologises after hiring stretch limo for asylum seekers - BBC News

Erm..neither do I..if Serco can spend £3000 on a trip from London to Manchester, and still make a profit..kinda shows, once again, how little research the tory mandarins do when they hand out contracts, and how free they are with taxpayers money in these times of austerity

RainbowSix · 17-10-2015, 14:07

Heck, I need to leave my job and take up a new one, transporing immegrants & asylum seekers - I would doubletruple my wage easily, and thats after I have hired a minivan for it.

accyman · 17-10-2015, 15:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainbowSix

Heck, I need to leave my job and take up a new one, transporing immegrants & asylum seekers - I would doubletruple my wage easily, and thats after I have hired a minivan for it.

sory you wont make a penny

needs to be a limo with leather seats , mini bar and privacy window..

maybe even a little strobe light and a disco ball incase they want to make a night of it

if you want a government contract think big.The more wastefull the better your chance