To not give a flying fart about Gordon Brown's banquet.

[lucyellensmum]

Who CARES, really, about what they ate, its normal practice i daresay and i think its absolutely fine actually. What were they supposed to eat, a bowl of rice?? Is that how un-intelligent that our media is? There are food shortages and we waste LOADS, food prices are rocketing and that is going to affect the poorer people in the world the hardest. I am sure there are much more important WASTES going on through government than some poxy banquet. Billions of pounds on wars that we shouldn't be fighting (no disrespect to our wonderful armed forces btw) etc etc. Im no politician and i actually understand very little about it. But it was such an obvious thing to jump on, its pathetic.

Our local radio station this morning tried to show how bad it was, but sitting some guy down to an 8 course breakfast - its hardly the same.

Regardless of what i think about Gordon Brown (cough-tosser) i think there are far more important things to worry about than their eating arrangements during a major conference.

Thank God for that. I spent two years in Aberdeen at a very sensitive age and it scarred me for life far too long.

never been to furryboot city myself.scotland contributes to the UK economy and edinburgh financial sector is hugely successful and contributes to GDP and UK economy

Scottish Family Firms are Engine Room of the Economy, Finds New Report
Panache Communications
05/02/2008
Region : All

Tuesday 5th February 08 ? The Scottish Family Business Association welcomed today, a new report launched by the Institute for Family Business, that reveals for the first time the full extent of the contribution that family firms make to the UK economy.

Key findings from the report include:

· Family firms produce over 30% of GDP ? a huge contribution to UK plc

· The sector accounts for over 40% of private sector employment, providing jobs to 9.5 million people ? one job in three throughout the UK

· The family business sector contributes around £73bn pa in taxes to the Exchequer, or 15% of the Government?s tax revenues

· Family firms account for 65% of the total 4.5 million private sector enterprises in the UK economy

· The family business sector is highly competitive with other sectors ? family firms have a turnover of over £1000 billion, over double that of the private equity sector, and employ more people in the UK than all FTSE companies combined

· Family businesses power innovation and enterprise in the UK ? firms in the sector act as a crucial breeding ground for entrepreneurial talent and start-ups

SM, that report is about family firms within the whole UK - it's been "welcomed" by the Scottish Family Business Association, but I don't think even they are trying to claim that Mrs McTartan's Shortbread Co is responsible for 30% of the UK's GDP.

Forgive me if I misinterpret your (implied)point, but you haven't really made it very clear.

Actually what is your point? TIA

what is wrong with sandwiches and a few cans of coke/ lemonade.water etc and some fruit to finish? it is a perfectly reasonable lunch, and a hot buffet for dinner. i think the media was picking up on the irony of them all talking about food shortages while munching away on all that food.

a heavy meal is counter productive anyway, they should be awake, refreshed and alert to discuss some of the world's most important issues.

Why is everyone assuming it was a "heavy", "calorofic" meal - it's just as likely to be a tasting-menu thing, lots of little dishes.

Also, SM1 - this was the evening meal - not much else to do apart from go to bed.

Agree with bruxeur - The Japanese have a different definition of courses. Not every one would have been porterhouse steak with chips, followed by a mixed grill, etc.

cryptoprocta - you make an excellent point there. Ive never in my life had an eight course meal, but i imagine that this is eight small portions with things like soupscons and sorbet as a course - small courses - how is this gluttony, i do think that our world leaders actually deserve to be looked after at these conferences. My point being, could the papers have not ignored something petty like this for more important issues.

Absolutely LEM - this is just lazy reporting. It's much easier to rabble-rouse than to try and report on the more important (=harder to represent) issues.

i have had an eight course meal and yes everything was in little portions, but i still felt absolutely stuffed afterwards. if their meal was like the one i had, with a different wine with each course, they'd also be hammered, though don't know if they did or did not.

This level of spend, fuss and waste is just not necessary. They are human beings, like us, they are no more deserving of an expensive meal that you or I.

I'm not suggesting they bring a packed lunch and their own microwave dinner, but i just think this is completely ironic, considering they are talking about food shortages.

They might have eaten some kittens for pudding, as well. I think this level of kitten-murdering is just not necessary. I mean, I murdered a kitten recently, and I felt completely distressed afterwards.

If they felt like that, perhaps they weren't able to give the next topics on the agenda their full attention. I don't know, perhaps they might have been able to, if they had murdered a kitten. Or not.

But they're not special or anything, they're just human beings, no more deserving of being able to murder kittens than any of us. Like me. I murdered a kitten, but I don't think Gordon Brown should be able to. Who do these politicians think they are?

diddums the world leaders desrve to be looked after!yes well they do earn a paltry salary with no perks poor wee lambs. They are essentially paid for, feed by us. that money comes fron our NI/taxes

Deserve!haha remember that next time you feel the pinch after getting the groceries in.

so do MP's desrve the above inflation pay rise they awareded themselves, or their many additional perks

the public sector was told to shuvve off with @3% a year

Too much Irn Bru, SM!

I can't understand who you're replying to, or about what...

And MPs pay is nothing to do with this!

cut the smart arse scottish comments.glance down at LEM post i do think that our world leaders actually deserve to be looked after at these conferences

i dont think they are necesarilly that deserving of gastronominc gluttony or their pay and perks

PS why are chunterring on about killing kittens

Why do politicians somehow 'deserve' to eat better than an ambulance driver for example? Show me a hospital canteen that serves up the same food as these 'conferences'

People are so used to this they take it for granted, but these are not our 'betters', but our employees. You might employ a nanny to look after kids, a nurse to look after someone elderly and you employ politicians to look after the country while you get on with other things.

There is no reason for them to be treated any better then 'ordinary' people.

If you agree with her why the digs about pay?

Who says they're being gluttons?

Kittens was a lazy pastiche of soopermum1's rambling post regarding a number of things that might have happened at the conference, or might not, but if they did happen then she'd be quite cross. And who do they think they are, having large meals? She's had a large meal, and felt a bit off afterwards! Politicians. Cuh!

Grey - because they do a more responsible job, work harder, and represent a country.

the LEM "i do think that our world leaders actually deserve to be looked after at these conferences" is a direct quote and actually no i abhorr the implication that these politicians are somehow more deserving than the hoi polloi

Well of course they are more deserving - that's a ridiculous thing to say.

bruxeur well thought out response there?.Hmm disagree with you get labelled "ridiculous" is that best intellectual response you have. it is the internet equivelent of sticking your finngers in your ears and going "lalalala im not listening"

Erm. About as intellectual as yours, tbh - you just said it was abhorrent. No reasoning, no explanation.

Replied in kind!

You'll get an reasoned response when you put one up yourself.

The thing is, there are lots of issues going on. The G8 summit is not just a bunch of old friends getting together for a knees up. I would rather be anyone else other than those people sitting around the table. Imagine having that much responsibility. I think generally, they eat well at these sort of things, and then they have some sort of finale show. I just think that instead of harping on about the right and wrongs of what was served for dinner, the press should have actually made the main focus of their discussion about proposals and members trying to wriggle out of responsibiliy (no fingers pointed, watch my eyeballs roll, bush, cough-tosser).

If we are going to get so precious about it, don't you lot feel guilty sitting down to your meat and two veg when there are people starving in the world. Heaven forbid that you have some wine with your dinner - there are people who can't even afford a plate of chips FFS!!! See, its stupidity.

I just bloody well hope that if anyone didn't finish each course and clear their plates, that they were made to sit there until they did eat it. THen if they still didn't eat it then they would have it for breakfast the next day, and so on and so forth. I mean, the whole thing is as ridiculous as the argument our mothers use to encourage us to eat our cabbage.

and while i'm at it "if SM and B don't stop bickering over the dinner table i shall bang your heads together" "y'hear?" now be good girls and discuss this like grown ups .

She started it.

And can I have my penis back, or am I really arguing like a girl?

Clearly Japan as host nation will want to show off its cusine of which it is justly proud. Anyone with the most passing acquaintance with that country understands how important this sort of thing is to Japan, particularly when it is host to the world's most powerful countries.

ok given some of your recent posts you might want to reconsider that advice.