Maggie's nose in the trough

[jake-the-peg]

Margaret Thatcher has claimed over Half a million pounds of taxpayers money in the last 5 years for public engagements and answering letters.

Only she doesn't after having been advised not to.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15486792

Does this represent good value for money for us taxpayers?

[cockneygirl]

Northamptonshire Steve

[cockneygirl]

You posted on Old People Steve but its not on there

[cockneygirl]

My reply didnt show

[cockneygirl]

forgot to go on page 2

[cockneygirl]

Bye sleep tight

[Gromit]

We seem to have turned into Chatterbank.

[Kromovaracun]

Yes.

Anyhow, welcome to News CG - most of 'em don't bite. :P

---

Regarding the actual question - I wholly agree with Andy. Other than a kind of formality, it's hard to see why this fund was established in the first place - former PMs never to seem to have much trouble finding money/well-paid jobs so there seems little reason for the taxpayer to pay for public/conference attendances which surely must be the bulk of all this (and anyway unless I'm mistaken conference organisers are usually quite happy to compensate for expenses etc. - especially when they get guests like that.)

[venator]

I don't think we've got the full story about this fund. Is it some way of topping up the already generous MP's pension?

A sort of golden parachute for ex - PMs?

Or do they get paid per letter or per speech?

It looks like the last gasp of the MPs' expenses story - something nice they voted themselves when they could get away with it.

[flip_flop]

Shouldn't the question title have read "Maggie's, Tony's and Probably Brown's Noses in The Trough"?

[jake-the-peg]

Well Brown's not named as having claimed

Blair and Major may be able to justify this against what it was intended for.

Margaret Thatcher however is clearly not doing public appearances, answering correspondence etc. and was advised not to 6 years ago.

This is why I singled her out in the subject.

I think we should see the expenses these claims were accounted against - if they're not avalable that would be an absolute scandle

[andy-hughes]

Steve.5 - keeping his powder dry was not the issue for Mr Fawkes - keeping it hidden was the problem there!

[bazwillrun]

Ahh the good old leftwing biased BBC - try looking at some other reports of the story and you will find that until very recently MT was putting a "FULL SHIFT" in at Parliament and only stopped on medical advice whereas phony blair.......

The fund was setup because on Harold Wilsons death his wife found herself in difficult financial circumstances, it seems HW didnt have his nose in any of the usual obvious troughs available to his ilk

[cathfromsaron]

change the rules then? xx

[jake-the-peg]

Nice try at diverting the point Baz

The point in that in the last 6 years (is that really recent?) she has done no significant public work but appears to have claimed a lot of money for having done so.

[Kayless]

Maggie can have what she likes as far as I'm concerned, she saved this country pretty much single handedly from Socialism. In her 10 years as PM she only ever took the ministerial salary, so we are up anyway. You lefties love to pick on her because she exposed your flawed ideology.

[rov1100]

These ex PMs have such inflated egos they think the country owes them something well beyond their sell by date. They already get massive pensions on their retirement. They are all in it together!

[I.Don No]

flippin' 'eck...you will be telling me next that we pay money to the Queen!

[jake-the-peg]

Well I think she does her share of public engagements for it don't you?