... to think it's wrong to charge £10 to come to a birthday party?

[meditrina]

Because that's what the Blairs appear to be charging parents of those invited to Leo's party.

OK, they have a security issue. But even so....

[cookcleanerchaufferetc]

Tossers!

[pfbornot]

Is it Leo's actual birthday party? Not sure it actually is.

I think it is an end of term party, in which case it's fine to charge. And be thankful they hosted it!

I don't care how rich the Blairs are, it seems wrong for people to freeload off them.

[pfbornot]

I just looked at wiki and Leo's birthday was over a month ago.

[Groovee]

Will he not be going to high school this year? Could it be an end of primary school party?

[petitepeach]

Sorry, but if they are offering to host it (probably for the publicity and security reasons) and they are demanding no cars to the venue and insisting on a coach, then they should in my opinion pay for it, or they shouldn't have offered...... they are pobably not paying out for anything anyway...

[PredictableDullard]

tight wads

[mumblebum]

It sounds like a big school leavers party rather than a birthday party. That if it were being hosted elsewhere would have to be paid for anyway, and quite possibly cost more. Seems they are covering the cost of the transport but presumably are providing venue, food, drinks and entertainment out of their own pocket. Doesn't sound like too bad a deal to me. I bet the kids will have a fab time!

Is it just me that's that Leo is 11?! He's just a baby, surely?

[LouMacca]

If this is true then it's an absolute disgrace. The Blairs are worth millions!! I find it hard to believe that even they would stoop to this..........

[bigTillyMint]

FFS they could easily afford to pay for everything. If they choose to offer to have it at theirs, they should pay all costs incurred. Otherwis, hold it at a neutral venue and everyone chips in.

[MsTeak]

You're taking a Daily Fail story as gospel?

[BillComptonstrousers]

I stopped readin when the first sentence ended with 'according to the Daily Mail'...

[BillComptonstrousers]

reading

[travellingwilbury]

Leo can't possibly be 11

[Clytaemnestra]

It's not a birthday party. It's an end of year school party.

You'd have to pay me a hell of a lot more than 10 pounds a head to deal with an entire school's worth of 11 year olds. I think they're being generous.

[mummyofonegirl]

personally i would think it us v odd but if i had to take my child to buckinghamshire by car train or otherwise it would cost a lot more than £10.00. It is a bit cheap of them but i think the children would also get more than £10 worth of entertainment.

As it is not Leo's birthday he would not be expecting a gift so £10 is not too much to pay really.

that's my 2 pence :)

[ivykaty44]

no one is forcing anyone to go to any party, they can decline the invite

[meditrina]

I saw it on Loose Women and just linked the first thing about it I found on google (didn't spot the DM sourcing). Agree on reflection there is probably disobliging spin. If all parents have agreed that group transport dips the best, and they'll all muck in for the cost, then it is far more benign that how it's being presented.

[grottielottie]

It's not a birthday party it's an end of primary party for all children.

To be far if the school had found a venue it would probably would have cost more money to hire a venue and parents would have had to subsidise this and paid for their own transport. I think it's a fairly generous thing to do in terms of the time, money and hassle it would take to organise.

I'm not a massive Blair fan and find them quite graspy generally but I think this is probably a mountain out of a mole hill. After all most parents at your average school don't help to organise these sorts of things let alone offer to host them.

[pfbornot]

I am really wondering why people think the Blairs should foot the entire bill for this party. Just because they can afford it?

I have a suspicion my neighbours are richer than me - shall I ask them to pay the entire cost of replacing a jointly owned fence just because they are richer than me and they can afford it?!

£10 for an end of Y6 party seems reasonable and it sounds such a treat to go to their mansion. They are providing this fabulous venue at a cost of £0 to the guests and people are ungrateful!! If I was Blair, I would cancel the party. The head had put in place arrangements for those who genuinely could not afford the £10 but Blair is still being dragged through the gutter press.

FWIW I don't even like Blair's politics but he does seem to be a decent person and nobody has the right to freeload off him, or his family.

[ExitPursuedByAKitten]

With you grottie on this one. I don't particularly like the Blairs, but find the outcry about people being charged for transport a bit out of order. Just because they have loads of money is no reason why they should be expected to subsidse other people.

Although come to think of it, wouldn't that have been more in keeping with his 'Labour' beliefs?

[LDNmummy]

This is such a non story.

It is an end of year party for the year 6 class. I had to pay roughly the same amount to attend mine 13 years ago so why should the Blairs stump up the cost for the whole class because they have money? Since when did it become their job to financially accomodate other people's children.

Do me a favour.

[ExitPursuedByAKitten]

I am organising our Y6 disco and I am only charging £7. Is mine too cheap?

[JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar]

Maybe the party is a bit of a fundraiser for something, too.

In which case I fail to see the issue.