Still on the Gravy Train or Deserved?

[davieG]

BBC

Seems somewhat excessive for attending public events and writing letters.

Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has claimed £535,000 of taxpayers' money over the last five years, government records have shown.

Baroness Thatcher, 86, who makes rare public appearances and suffers poor health, was paid from the public duties cost allowance available to ex-PMs.

Others to benefit have been her successor John Major, paid £490,000 in the last five years, and Tony Blair.

In 2008-9, Mr Blair claimed £169,076 - more than his Downing Street salary.

Since leaving office, Mr Blair, who ran the country for a decade from 1997, has claimed just under £273,000.

The system was set up by John Major in 1991, after one year in office, to reward former prime ministers for work including answering letters and attending public events.

In the past five years, the three former number 10 incumbents have cost the taxpayer in total more than £1.7m in public duty allowances.

The figures were revealed by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude following a written Parliamentary question from Tory MP Philip Hollobone.

Mr Maude said: "The public duties cost allowance is kept under review."

[Dr The Singh]

I see no real benefit in the hag doing anything for our naion, so it's the gravy train for me!!

[FoxyPV]

Definite gravy train.

John Major had his head screwed on - one short period as PM and he introduced legislation to ensure that he can claim expenses for the rest of his life.

What a joke!

[21st Century Fox]

I'd love to know exactly what that walking corpse is doing to benefit the taxpayers. Slowly dying is pretty much all I can come up with.

[Dr The Singh]

I'd love to know exactly what that walking corpse is doing to benefit the taxpayers. Slowly dying is pretty much all I can come up with.

I know for FACT, you still would!!!!!

[Guest Bilo]

Make the old bint live on the same state pension she made millions of elderly Brits live on.

Joke.

Mind you, she's still not as much of a parasite as Cherie Blair.

[Saxondale]

Gravy train.

HOWEVER... (on a slightly different topic, I suppose)

The prime minister's job is about the worst payed job in the country.

PMs work ludicrous amounts of hours per week and every minute they're not working, they're being slated by the media.

Compare this to leaders of councils who earn several times more than the PM, and they're basically just idiotic, unelected maniacs who are too mad and incompetent to get a job in the private sector.

So, I suppose what I'm saying is that, over the course of their lives, Prime Ministers represent not bad value.

[21st Century Fox]

I know for FACT, you still would!!!!!

Well just for bragging rights maybe.

[John Matrix]

At least Sexy Bill solved the hostage crisis in North Korea. What have these sponging ***** done?

[FoxyPV]

Gravy train.

HOWEVER... (on a slightly different topic, I suppose)

The prime minister's job is about the worst payed job in the country.

PMs work ludicrous amounts of hours per week and every minute they're not working, they're being slated by the media.

Compare this to leaders of councils who earn several times more than the PM, and they're basically just idiotic, unelected maniacs who are too mad and incompetent to get a job in the private sector.

So, I suppose what I'm saying is that, over the course of their lives, Prime Ministers represent not bad value.

Whilst you're PM you pay for absolutley nothing and you save your entire salary.

The real rewards for PM are collected after your term has ended on the after dinner speaker circuit or high profile advisory jobs.

(plus most PMs are career politicians who make their money beforehand)

[Saxondale]

Whilst you're PM you pay for absolutley nothing and you save your entire salary.

The real rewards for PM are collected after your term has ended on the after dinner speaker circuit or high profile advisory jobs.

(plus most PMs are career politicians who make their money beforehand)

Yep, definitely.

But bear in mind it's the number one job in the country - it should be financially lucrative!

[FoxyPV]

Yep, definitely.

But bear in mind it's the number one job in the country - it should be financially lucrative!

Are you saying that earning over £100k a year plus a massive amount in expenses isn't financially lucrative?!

An money isn't everything - prestige makes up for an awful lot.

[Saxondale]

Are you saying that earning over £100k a year plus a massive amount in expenses isn't financially lucrative?!

An money isn't everything - prestige makes up for an awful lot.

No, it is lucrative. But there's a lot of fair less important public sector jobvs that pay a lot more.

I'm not saying the PM should earn more, I'm saying the chief execs of councils, heads of quangos etc should earn a lot less!

[accessory]

Definite gravy train.

John Major had his head screwed on - one short period as PM and he introduced legislation to ensure that he can claim expenses for the rest of his life.

What a joke!

He actually did SIX YEARS in Downing Street...

There is no reason for any of these parasites claiming these sums from the public purse. I thought Thatcher and Blair in particular were supposed to be tough on extravagant benefit claims..

Once again it's a case of the political elite telling us to do as they say and not as they do.

[ithuriel]

Gravy train, what else could you expect of politicians

[mancunianfox]

Really, this should be stopped immediately. Very surprised it wasn't picked up on during the expenses scandal actually.

Wonder if Gordo is claiming on this too??

[accessory]

Really, this should be stopped immediately. Very surprised it wasn't picked up on during the expenses scandal actually.

Wonder if Gordo is claiming on this too??

Gordo is still a sitting MP, so at least still has a reason to be on the public payroll.

[Guest MattP]

Blair has some fcuking nerve considering he has made 20million from public speaking.

[Guest MattP]

I'd love to know exactly what that walking corpse is doing to benefit the taxpayers. Slowly dying is pretty much all I can come up with.

Whatever you think of someone that's pretty crass, nothing says "I'm a scumbag" more than Thatcher hate. :-D

I love her, without her policies I've no doubt my family would all still be on a council estate.

[21st Century Fox]

Whatever you think of someone that's pretty crass, nothing says "I'm a scumbag" more than Thatcher hate. :-D

I love her, without her policies I've no doubt my family would all still be on a council estate.

Nothing says "I am a Scumbag" like allying yourself with someone like Augusto Pinochet.

[Guest MattP]

Nothing says "I am a Scumbag" like allying yourself with someone like Augusto Pinochet.

Not really, you saw the benefit of it in the Falklands.

Give me one PM that hasn't got cosy with mass murderers? Blair slaughtered 500,000 Muslims and was pictured shaking hands with Gaddafi. Brown was in that government.

You will deal with people like that in politics, at least Thatchers relationship benefitted us.

[21st Century Fox]

Not really, you saw the benefit of it in the Falklands.

Give me one PM that hasn't got cosy with mass murderers? Blair slaughtered 500,000 Muslims and was pictured shaking hands with Gaddafi. Brown was in that government.

You will deal with people like that in politics, at least Thatchers relationship benefitted us.

You could say they've all benefited us in some ways but I wouldn't say they were any better.

I think her continued support of her dear friend for years after in spite of the facts may be quite galling to some, especially Chileans.

[Webbo]

Mrs Thatcher is worth every penny. I hope some pensioners have had their benefits cut to pay for it.

[Bellend Sebastian]

I hope my dream where Godzilla set her hair ablaze with his fiery breath and then decapitated her with a mighty claw was a premonition

[Guest MattP]

Have to love the Thatcher haters born after 1985.