Living off the fat of the land. - Page 2

katex · 22-01-2009, 19:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

The allowance is applicable for any overnight stay, be it Whitehall or Whitby.

Yeh, but only up to the specified amount, doesn't mean to say they spend this does it ?

Restaurant charges appear to remain the same in hotels irrespective of where it is in the country .. just the room rate may be cheaper than London.

garinda · 22-01-2009, 19:17

Fifty five quid, en suite, very central, loads of restaurants offering a wide choice of food on your doorstep.

Kensington Court Hotel Bayswater website: Rack Rates

garinda · 22-01-2009, 19:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by katex

Yeh, but only up to the specified amount, doesn't mean to say they spend this does it ?

Restaurant charges appear to remain the same in hotels irrespective of where it is in the country .. just the room rate may be cheaper than London.

It was his petulant comment that if you know of somewhere to eat in London for £10.00 that you should write a travel guide that really irked me. There are lots of very good places.

I don't know what it is about Cllr. 'because I'm worth it' Britcliffe and his expenses, but I always end up picturing Marie Antoinette.

shillelagh · 22-01-2009, 19:29

In actual fact why if hes going to london on official business why doesnt the council book his room .. that way the invoice is going straight to the council. The council then pays for the room, breakfast ... and anything else is charged to the councillor ... that way room service aint abused!!!

Neil · 22-01-2009, 19:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by katex

'Course, one way of cutting this expense down is to go in twos and share a room, as most hotels now only charge per room ....

Maybe one of our Councillor members, Claire Pritchard, might like to comment on her thoughts about spending the night in the same hotel room as Peter Britcliffe

I am assuming of course that she has not done already

katex · 22-01-2009, 19:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

Fifty five quid, en suite, very central, loads of restaurants offering a wide choice of food on your doorstep.

Kensington Court Hotel Bayswater website: Rack Rates

But no restaurant in the hotel Garinda ... which is the most safe for ladies. Unless, you knew the restaurants and their bargains, would still cost £20 +.

Also, parking ? that could be a nightmare .... although must admit most hotels will charge extra, even if they have parking facilities, but not so much as the Public Car Parks.

Used to spend lots of precious time looking for a decent, well-priced hotel in London which always overtook the extra expense of my time. Depends on the time of year too.

I wouldn't have stayed there anyway, and will not alter my opinion.

steeljack · 22-01-2009, 19:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by shillelagh

In actual fact why if hes going to london on official business why doesnt the council book his room .. that way the invoice is going straight to the council. The council then pays for the room, breakfast ... and anything else is charged to the councillor ... that way room service aint abused!!!

That would mean the council having to set up a full time travel dept. with a minimum of 3 employees , 1 manager, 1 clerk (to do the work) and 1 accountant to add up the figures .
cost to council , £80,000 per year (not including pension and private medical costs)

garinda · 22-01-2009, 19:59

Britcliffe isn't a vunerable flower. Your preference for an in-house hotel restaurant is irrelevant.

He said he needs to spend £145.00 per night on a hotel in London, and couldn't eat for a tenner.

He was wrong on both accounts.

garinda · 22-01-2009, 20:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by steeljack

That would mean the council having to set up a full time travel dept. with a minimum of 3 employees , 1 manager, 1 clerk (to do the work) and 1 accountant to add up the figures .
cost to council , £80,000 per year (not including pension and private medical costs)

I'll do it for him for free.

Hell for £145 I could get him a weeks half board in Tenerife, though that wouldn't include a homeward bound flight.

andrewb · 22-01-2009, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

so glad i'm back, just waiting for andrews comments on our leaders expenses.

The expenses increase was actually a recommendation by an independent body, who surveyed hotels and restaurants, not the council.

I think it was a grand total of 5 councillors that had actually been to London to represent the borough on expenses. The value is also a limit, a cap. A hotel costing £80 in Winter, could well cost £200 in Summer. Councillor Britcliffe who people are all too happy to have a pop at, actually books his online to ensure the cheapest cost to the taxpayer, when on official business like meeting the Prime Minister. I reckon there will be little difference between this years expense total, and next years.

The point Katex makes is very important, we should not be putting our female councillors at risk. Especially when the visits are so few in number.

Unfortunately I did not have time to grab the Observer this morning, but I can imagine what was wrote in it. I must say, it is quite interesting, how the opposition voted against this one. They voted against an expenses increase a few years ago, and then when it was passed, spent up to the new value in their expenses. They also voted against taking separate expenses for multiple roles within council, and yet yours truly Graham Jones and Clare Prichard, are taking separate expenses for multiple roles. Stinks of cheap newspaper headlines.

I'm glad you're back cashman. I have missed you.

Neil · 22-01-2009, 20:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

I'll do him for free.

I bet you would

shillelagh · 22-01-2009, 20:23

Keep it clean Neil!!!!

garinda · 22-01-2009, 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by katex

I wouldn't have stayed there anyway, and will not alter my opinion.

That's your right, and we'll have to disagree on this one, though it may upset those people who think there's an Accy Web Mafia, who think we always agree with our friends on here.

I do think your situation is slightly different though. If a private company expects it's employees to regularly stay away from home, then there should be enough funding to make sure that person feels comfortable, and safe, and expect certain standards when it comes to facilities.

H.B.C. isn't a private company.

Whether the borough of Hyndburn benefited from Cllr. Britcliffe and his Chief Executive's overnight stay in London for the launch of Pennine Lancashire, is another question.

I wonder what time it took place?

I've been to afternoon meetings in London, and have been there and back the same day, thanks to the good old railway sytstem.

garinda · 22-01-2009, 20:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewb

we should not be putting our female councillors at risk.

It's reassuring to know patronising and sexist attitudes are alive and well in Nu-Tory Lite.

No councillor, regardless of gender, should be forced to stay anywhere they are at risk.

There's no evidence that anyone would be more 'at risk' in a reasonably priced hotel than they would be at the Ritz.

garinda · 22-01-2009, 20:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

I bet you would

Don't put your life savings on it.

You'd lose your bet.