£250,000 Bill For Portraits Of Politicians?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2539190/Parliament-posers-Taxpayer-billed-250-000-MPs-order-paintings-statues-photographs-other.html

In these days of austerity do we really need to spend money on paintings of politicians?

Perhaps for historical purposes we could stretch to portraits of past Prime ministers but for those 'who are first to do things' is surely a 'painting to far'?

/// He added that the selection of some subjects was 'almost automatic' including former prime ministers, Commons Speakers and people 'who are the first to do things', including Miss Abbott, the first black woman elected to Parliament. ///

[browntrout]

I thought some spokesman (or is that spokesperson these days) was drooling on about MPs who were notable firsts at something merited a portrait - like Abbott being the first black something or other.

[jomifl]

This guy preceded Abbott by a century or so
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadabhai_Naoroji
I can't say whether he qualifies as black but he wasn't white

[vulcan42]

The portrait of Tony Blair would look better if it was in Wimbledon, looks more like John McEnroe.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// And we have been in austerity for 5 years. I would hope that there haven't been as many artworks recently, but the useless article doesn't tell us.///

Yet another 'useless article' according to the poster of a thread regarding the chances of a certain film being awarded 10 BAFTA Nominations.

[anotheoldgit]

Seems like paintings of Left-Wingers are cheap as chips.

/// pictures of the left-wingers Dennis Skinner and Tony Benn cost £2,000 each. ///

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/13/taxpayers-spending-mps-portraits

[anotheoldgit]

More on this 'useless article'. seems pretty useful to me since it shows what some of our taxes are spent on.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/13/paintings-mps-diane-abbott-iain-duncan-smith_n_4588485.html

http://news.sky.com/story/1194397/mps-spend-250k-on-portraits-of-themselves

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/13/taxpayers-spending-mps-portraits

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10571595/MP-dismisses-250000-taxpayer-bill-for-politicianss-portraits-as-chicken-feed.html

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/fury-as-portraits-of-politicians-cost-the-taxpayer-250000-x.23162111

[AB Editor]

I really like that Blair one. You can see that he's asked for a "serious" painting, ready for the history books - which will mostly forget about his "matey" spin and focus on his impressive stats.

I'm fine with it, even if it was only for the last 5 years - sounds like a bargain if it's over the last 25.

[anotheoldgit]

AB Editor

A little off track I admit, but since you are around have you anything further to report on the black on blue scrolling arrows problem, these can be seen by the side of Gromit's thread "rightwing, Nationalist Escapism”.

15:25 Mon 13th Jan 2014

[jno]

I can't see anything like that on my screen, aog, using Firefox

[anotheoldgit]

Thanks for that jno, yes I am also using Firefox

[Gromit]

None ofthe portraits the Mail use to illustrate this peoce were painted during this era of austerity.

The Diane Abbott one which is their main illustration was painted 10 years ago.

The bettyBbothroyd one was painted in 1994 which is outside of this freedom of information request which the story is based on.



Abbot 2004
Clarke 2007
Blair 2008
Boothroyd 1994 and 1999
Hague 2001
Major 2007
Kennedy 2001
Benn 1998
Thatcher 2007

None of this is news. Why didn't you post it in the history or Art section.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// None of this is news. Why didn't you post it in the history or Art section. ///

Seems to have received plenty of coverage from the 'NEWS'papers.

See my 10.15 post.

[Gromit]

STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS!

Diane Abbott had her portrait painted in 2004!
Get all the latest news in the Daily Mail.

[Zeuhl]

/Seems to have received plenty of coverage from the 'NEWS'papers. /

So just like '12 years a slave' bafta nominations and their winning top prize at the Golden Globes

Glad we resolved that one

and confirmed the criteria for posting in 'News'

[jno]

it was on the front page of the Guardian - shouldn't have been, imo, but there you are; it's a news story and aog is right to raise it here.