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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think taxpayers should not be subsidising beer in the House of Commons?

34 replies

AskBasil · 13/04/2014 09:51

FFS?

Why?

Why the fuck do MP's think they have the right to have their boozing subsidised by the rest of us?

What possible reason can there be, for this to be presented as something taxpayers should be spending scarce resources on?

I thought they had stopped all this. Just heard on Broadcasting House that this is still going on.

OP posts:
YouTheCat · 13/04/2014 09:54

And apparently, under this government, the champagne bill is up 72%.

Drinking should be done in their own time, with their own money.

expatinscotland · 13/04/2014 09:56

I agree. Provide a subsidised canteen, like the one my child's consultant who spends her career saving children's lives eats in at work.

NO booze.

Stunning.

Subsidised alcohol.

ForalltheSaints · 13/04/2014 09:58

Beer should not receive subsidy anywhere.

thebody · 13/04/2014 10:02

Bloody ridiculous.

NiceTabard · 13/04/2014 10:05

Yanbu

roundtable · 13/04/2014 10:06

I went there as a friend of mine was an intern about 8 years ago.

There was a canteen that everyone was allowed who worked there. I remember being surprised that a big bowl of soup and crusty bread was 20p! You couldn't buy it from the supermarket at that price.

I was even more surprised to find out that there are all different restaurants that only mp's can eat and drink at that are heavily subsidised. They are fine dining places with expensive wines and liquors. They don't pay those prices though, it's barely anything. Smoking is allowed in there too as, you know, parliament doesn't count as part of Britain.

Makes you wonder where the majority of decisions are actually made in our government...

Ploppy16 · 13/04/2014 10:06

YAnBU but just think about the damage they could inflict on the country if they were completely sober!

TheCrackFox · 13/04/2014 10:10

Too use a much hackneyed Mumsnet catchphrase, they have a huge sense of entitlement.

partialderivative · 13/04/2014 10:23

Rationality tells me all the above posters are correct and in order.

However, I do get a sneaky sense of guilty pleasure when I go to a club (I live in the ME) meant for American citizens (I am a pukka member!) and drink beer subsidised by the American Embassy.

msscoob · 13/04/2014 10:25

I know! It's beyond laughable. Did you know that they have also now told supermarkets that employees are no longer allowed to receive their staff discounts when they purchase spirits. A supermarket worker doesn't make a living wage and one perk is a measly 10% discount when they do their shop. Apparently though the poor don't deserve a drink on a friday or the government is losing a few pence in tax as the discount comes of first so they've stopped it. Another attack on the poor whilst they quaff champagne at the taxpayers expense. Makes my blood boil.

Ilovexmastime · 13/04/2014 10:28

Yanbu, it's outrageous.

I didn't know that msscoob, that is also outrageous!

GinnelsandWhippets · 13/04/2014 11:53

YANBU, there are many many things happening in central government that are a result of this hideous culture of entitlement. It's a disgrace.

OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 13/04/2014 11:57

It's infuriating.

I work for a government body and we are not allowed alcohol on the premises under any circumstances.

Fair enough, but we used to have a christmas lunch event where a buffet and a single glass of wine/bottle of beer would be provided, (this is our only christmas perk - if we have an evening or lunchtime do outside the building we have to pay for it ourselves) but that is no longer allowed 'as it is not an appropriate use of tax payers money'. We are also not allowed to claim for alcohol when travelling on business.

I don't have so much of a problem with this rule, but yet again, 'we are all in this together' clearly excludes MPs Hmm.

ilovesooty · 13/04/2014 11:58

I'd have the greatest of respect for the MP who tables a motion to get this stopped.

fayrae · 13/04/2014 11:59

I agree. Parliament is still rooted in the 19th century. It needs to be brought kicking and screaming into the 21st. Drastically reduce the numbers of MPs (100 is more than enough). Move parliament to somewhere central, the HoP can be sold off for an absolute fortune. There's no need for daily commons and lords debates in these days of wireless communication, do it online.

paxtecum · 13/04/2014 12:12

I dislike them all.
I might spoil my ballot paper next time in protest.

Imnotmadeofeyes · 13/04/2014 12:16

I don't see any justification for having bars/restaurants in the Houses of Parliament.

I know they think they're special little snowflakes, but they're fucking not. Especially this bunch of non-elected-best-of-a-bad-situation no marks who the country have not backed in any kind of meaningful majority.

They can take their £15 late night meal allowance and put it towards a private club membership if they need leather chairs and a fawning barman.

uselessidiot · 13/04/2014 12:27

Of course YABU we are talking about proper people here. They work so much harder than anyone else, are so much more intelligent than anyone else. Of course they must get everything handed to them on a plate. They are perfect remember, it's scum like me who are overly entirely wanting a living wage, it's people like me who should apologise for having more than I should. I've even had three whole weekend off for a change, disgraceful!

this is sarcasm BTW

fayrae · 13/04/2014 12:29

There's no reason why you can't have bars or restaurants in the HOP but they should be sold as concessions, not subsidised.

NutcrackerFairy · 13/04/2014 16:15

Petition signed!

Yes, it's a bloody disgrace.

I really can't understand why government employees [MPs] are being given these sort of perks and benefits which no-one else is entitled to.
Particularly when all sorts of cuts are occurring which the general population is expected to just suck up and tolerate... well, fair enough, we need to claw back the UK's financial deficit somehow. But bloody MPs should be leading by example and also cutting back on non essential spending... on things like beer and duck houses and the taxpayer paying the interest on an MPs mortgage which said MP is then able to sell for 1 million pound profit and not have to return a proportion of this to the taxpayer Hmm

May all be legal and above board but it is not right or fair and needs to be stopped.

msscoob · 13/04/2014 16:25

and they have the cheek to say we are all in this together!!! I am now of the opinion that they dream up their slogans or their policies as they are mostly pissed all of the time

NutcrackerFairy · 13/04/2014 16:43

Ah hah, so that's how this one got authorised...

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/20/grant-shapps-beer-and-bingo-working-class-toryism

Original poster
AskBasil · 13/04/2014 16:57

Oh thank goodness there's a petition

OP posts:
Ilovexmastime · 13/04/2014 19:57

Signed, thanks for sharing!