Champagne Lifestyle
Here's a good story from The Independent which highlights the fact that sales of champagne in the House of Commons increased by 72% since 2010.
Two points spring to mind.
The first being that the economic recession has not been bad news for everybody and that those with large mortgages must be enjoying the big drop in their housing costs since 2008.
The second and perhaps more obvious point is a question - 'Why do MPs and their guests enjoy subsidised drinks from the taxpayer? Why don't they just pay the going rate from their own pockets like everyone else?'
House of Commons’ champagne bill goes up and up despite austerity
By ELISA CRIADO - The Independent
Budgets are tight, but champagne consumption in Westminster appears immune to austerity measures. New figures uncovered by the Huffington Post UK show that there has been a substantial rise in the number of bottles of bubbly ordered by the House of Commons since the current coalition has been in power.
This tax year the catering services at Westminster bought 8,082 bottles of the luxury tipple, a 72 per cent increase from the 4,691 bottles purchased in 2010. The rise has been a steady one, with approximately 1000 more bottles ordered in each year.
The total cost of stocking the House of Commons with champagne has added up to £275,221 since 2010. This bought Westminster over 25,000 bottles, which MPs and their staff are able to buy at a rate subsidised by the taxpayer.
A spokesperson for the House of Commons attributed the rising champagne consumption to an increased number of reception events.
"The increasing trend is to sell more receptions than dinner events which attract a higher number of guests and is the reason for increased consumption and sales in alcohol. To accommodate this increase in demand, banqueting has increased its order of champagne stocks.”
Earlier this year Metro published anonymous complaints made by MPs about the on-site subsidised catering services. These included concerns about the "embarrassing" lack of Martini and a request for "more fresh game" to be introduced to the menu.
Strange Prices (28 February 2014)
The strangest thing about the Strangers Bar in the House of Commons - is the price it charges for drinks.
Like much else in the Palace of Westminster the all-day Strangers Bar is heavily subsidised - and you can buy a glass of wine for only £2.50 - much less than the going rate in any nearby public house or restaurant.
For reasons which MPs don't like to discuss the Commons catering service is subsidised to the tune of £5.8 million a year.
Or to put that another way - six times the amount of money (£963,000) offered to the boss of the Royal Bank of Scotland - Stephen Hester - as a performanc bonus.
Which Stephen Hester declined - of course.
After a huge public outcry from many - including Westminster MPs who said this was a terrible waste of public money.
Yet they subsidise their own eating and drinking habits to the tune of millions of pounds a year - and no one bats an eyelid.
In the year to March 2011 some £1.33 million was spent in the nine bars which are dotted around the House of Commons - saving MPs a pretty penny or two.
I can't see one good reason why the practice should continue - someone should do us all a favour and call last orders on the £5.8 million public subsidy.
Because MPs and their guests can well afford to pay the going rate - for their meals and drinks.
