Tony Blair
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That's £410k adjusted for inflation to today's money, or £285k spent over a decade, with the highest amount actually spent in one year being £48,336.thesquireofbanwell said:An interesting little snippet!
Of the £646k spent on THE flat in Downing Street since 1997 more than £410k of that was lavished during the decade of occupancy of..........you guessed it; one Tony Blair.
Nobody had redecorated since the 60s until they moved in apparently.0 -
From what I've read, which I think was the indy, the two Labour PMs spent the budget every year. Cameron went over on year one (but paid the remainder himself) and was then frugal, and May spent very very little.surrey_commuter said:
Stop being so agreeabletailwindhome said:
Of coursethesquireofbanwell said:He was, later, but not when he occupied the flat.
He quoted a “specific media source” the only checkable part of which was completely and utterly wrong
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Sorry, you're right.surrey_commuter said:
Stop being so agreeabletailwindhome said:
Of coursethesquireofbanwell said:He was, later, but not when he occupied the flat.
He quoted a “specific media source” the only checkable part of which was completely and utterly wrong
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
Gordon Brown spent no money because he was a frugal bachelor.Jezyboy said:
From what I've read, which I think was the indy, the two Labour PMs spent the budget every year. Cameron went over on year one (but paid the remainder himself) and was then frugal, and May spent very very little.surrey_commuter said:
Stop being so agreeabletailwindhome said:
Of coursethesquireofbanwell said:He was, later, but not when he occupied the flat.
He quoted a “specific media source” the only checkable part of which was completely and utterly wrong
Is that the Gordon Brown who was PM 2007-10
Is that the Gordon Brown who was married in 2000
Or was that the Gordon Brown who had three kids by 2007
I am going to assume the rest of the article and every “fact” in it is bollox0 -
Those are the published facts, which I am happy to retract if found to be false.
The amounts, as far as I can tell, relate purely to (re) decoration costs, are in the public domain and completely checkable so it remains to be seen if lawsuits are forthcoming in relation to those amounts.I disapprove of what you say but will defend....your right to say it. Francois-Marie Arouet Voltaire08 Cotic Soda-deceased!10 Bianchi 928 c2c23 Marin Nicasio20 -
18 carat gold paintrjsterry said:
It's a large Grade I listed house. The frontage you see on TV is just a small part.elbowloh said:
They get £30k a year from government for renovations and repairs.morstar said:Not seen any of the numbers but the numbers are potentially meaningless.
It’s an old property and could have undergone structural work at some point.
If all these figures are solely on internal decoration and furnishings then the whole thing is a scandal but I somehow doubt it.
I suspect the IT infrastructure alone has been updated massively with high security since 1997 when the public internet use was still in its toddler years.
From what I can see of the floor plans, I doubt £30k would cover more than a new coat of paint even on just the upstairs flat. The problem isn't how much was spent, but how the money was obtained, and that the loan wasn't declared.0 -
Who said anything about major updates. This was £200k to decorate and furnish by all accounts. And this is per year!morstar said:
I get that but major updates to an old building could easily exceed £30kelbowloh said:
They get £30k a year from government for renovations and repairs.morstar said:Not seen any of the numbers but the numbers are potentially meaningless.
It’s an old property and could have undergone structural work at some point.
If all these figures are solely on internal decoration and furnishings then the whole thing is a scandal but I somehow doubt it.
I suspect the IT infrastructure alone has been updated massively with high security since 1997 when the public internet use was still in its toddler years.
My little house is due for major renovations and I could easily blow way more than 30k
That was my point. If the property needs major investment, £30k ain’t cutting it.0 -
Does it not concern you at all that the article is written by somebody who could be so monumentally wrong about Gordon Brown? Why are you so confident that he is more accurate with the difficult stuff?thesquireofbanwell said:Those are the published facts, which I am happy to retract if found to be false.
The amounts, as far as I can tell, relate purely to (re) decoration costs, are in the public domain and completely checkable so it remains to be seen if lawsuits are forthcoming in relation to those amounts.0 -
"A friend of hers told the Daily Mail: "The makeover is appropriate for a building of such huge importance. Carrie has exquisite taste." Bzzzzzzt.kingstongraham said:
She's with BJ.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
I rest my case!I disapprove of what you say but will defend....your right to say it. Francois-Marie Arouet Voltaire08 Cotic Soda-deceased!10 Bianchi 928 c2c23 Marin Nicasio20
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Which is?thesquireofbanwell said:I rest my case!
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(One for the other thread.)0
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The 'facts' that I provided are from a different source to Sky news but corroborated.I disapprove of what you say but will defend....your right to say it. Francois-Marie Arouet Voltaire08 Cotic Soda-deceased!10 Bianchi 928 c2c23 Marin Nicasio20
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So now, if the past and current PMs can blow those figures on a flat, just how much did/do they spaff up the wall on the 'country retreat' Chequers?
Comienza la revolución.0 -
So what happens to all the 'stuff' bought at our expense when the next refurb happens?
Surely things like beds should come out of the PM's own pocket.
I'm sure we'd all love to have £30k pa to maintain our own homes.
I doubt any structural repairs to the building comes out of this allowance.0 -
Apart from the numbers being inflation adjusted, and excluding what Johnson has done.thesquireofbanwell said:The 'facts' that I provided are from a different source to Sky news but corroborated.
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Structural repairs are not included, the figures are only for decoration and/or furnishings.I disapprove of what you say but will defend....your right to say it. Francois-Marie Arouet Voltaire08 Cotic Soda-deceased!10 Bianchi 928 c2c23 Marin Nicasio20
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Do you know who paid for it when Blair went over the allowance?0
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As I said before this is a workplace and should be treated as such.Dorset_Boy said:So what happens to all the 'stuff' bought at our expense when the next refurb happens?
Surely things like beds should come out of the PM's own pocket.
I'm sure we'd all love to have £30k pa to maintain our own homes.
I doubt any structural repairs to the building comes out of this allowance.
It is not their personal home to be decorated on a whim. Should being the key word.
I also advocated an MP's hotel instead of personal house allowances. You know like how businesses operate.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
I will concede that the figures are 'inflation adjusted' but that does not detract from the fact that a certain T. Blair filled his boots at the taxpayers expense as have subsequent PM's.I disapprove of what you say but will defend....your right to say it. Francois-Marie Arouet Voltaire08 Cotic Soda-deceased!10 Bianchi 928 c2c23 Marin Nicasio20
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As regards, Blair's overspend perhaps the Press were not as interested then as they are now so it may not have been covered. I do not know who paid for the overspend.I disapprove of what you say but will defend....your right to say it. Francois-Marie Arouet Voltaire08 Cotic Soda-deceased!10 Bianchi 928 c2c23 Marin Nicasio20
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My point is now spread across multiple post so I’ll clarify and then comment no further.elbowloh said:
Who said anything about major updates. This was £200k to decorate and furnish by all accounts. And this is per year!morstar said:
I get that but major updates to an old building could easily exceed £30kelbowloh said:
They get £30k a year from government for renovations and repairs.morstar said:Not seen any of the numbers but the numbers are potentially meaningless.
It’s an old property and could have undergone structural work at some point.
If all these figures are solely on internal decoration and furnishings then the whole thing is a scandal but I somehow doubt it.
I suspect the IT infrastructure alone has been updated massively with high security since 1997 when the public internet use was still in its toddler years.
My little house is due for major renovations and I could easily blow way more than 30k
That was my point. If the property needs major investment, £30k ain’t cutting it.
The ~£600K since Blair moved in was mentioned as a way to suggest that they’ve all been blowing loads of money on the apartment.
I merely questioned whether all of that was solely cosmetic decoration or whether it included more substantial renovations to a very old property. If the latter, the spend isn’t excessive.
We know Boris has spent a lot solely on cosmetic decoration. He may just be following others or people may be excusing him with irrelevant statistics. I don’t know and don’t care enough to find out. I have a pretty clear idea of what Boris is.
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Blair did.thesquireofbanwell said:As regards, Blair's overspend perhaps the Press were not as interested then as they are now so it may not have been covered. I do not know who paid for the overspend.
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thesquireofbanwell said:
As regards, Blair's overspend perhaps the Press were not as interested then as they are now so it may not have been covered. I do not know who paid for the overspend.
Well, they were pretty interested in 2005 on how much he spent on cosmetics... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1494753/Blairs-make-up-bill-runs-to-1800.html (sorry can't get past the paywall), and rehashed in 2020 by The Express: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1282753/tony-blair-news-downing-street-expenses-parliament-cosmetic-costs-spt
Obviously that's more important in 2020 to the Express than Spaffer's £200k...0 -
What is the cost p/a that the occupants lived there?0
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I realise some are struggling to grasp this, but £200k really isn't that much to refurbish and refurnished a decent sized flat at that sort of level.elbowloh said:
Who said anything about major updates. This was £200k to decorate and furnish by all accounts. And this is per year!morstar said:
I get that but major updates to an old building could easily exceed £30kelbowloh said:
They get £30k a year from government for renovations and repairs.morstar said:Not seen any of the numbers but the numbers are potentially meaningless.
It’s an old property and could have undergone structural work at some point.
If all these figures are solely on internal decoration and furnishings then the whole thing is a scandal but I somehow doubt it.
I suspect the IT infrastructure alone has been updated massively with high security since 1997 when the public internet use was still in its toddler years.
My little house is due for major renovations and I could easily blow way more than 30k
That was my point. If the property needs major investment, £30k ain’t cutting it.1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
rjsterry said:
I realise some are struggling to grasp this, but £200k really isn't that much to refurbish and refurnished a decent sized flat at that sort of level.elbowloh said:
Who said anything about major updates. This was £200k to decorate and furnish by all accounts. And this is per year!morstar said:
I get that but major updates to an old building could easily exceed £30kelbowloh said:
They get £30k a year from government for renovations and repairs.morstar said:Not seen any of the numbers but the numbers are potentially meaningless.
It’s an old property and could have undergone structural work at some point.
If all these figures are solely on internal decoration and furnishings then the whole thing is a scandal but I somehow doubt it.
I suspect the IT infrastructure alone has been updated massively with high security since 1997 when the public internet use was still in its toddler years.
My little house is due for major renovations and I could easily blow way more than 30k
That was my point. If the property needs major investment, £30k ain’t cutting it.
It really is. Look how much every other PM spent apart from Blairrjsterry said:
I realise some are struggling to grasp this, but £200k really isn't that much to refurbish and refurnished a decent sized flat at that sort of level.elbowloh said:
Who said anything about major updates. This was £200k to decorate and furnish by all accounts. And this is per year!morstar said:
I get that but major updates to an old building could easily exceed £30kelbowloh said:
They get £30k a year from government for renovations and repairs.morstar said:Not seen any of the numbers but the numbers are potentially meaningless.
It’s an old property and could have undergone structural work at some point.
If all these figures are solely on internal decoration and furnishings then the whole thing is a scandal but I somehow doubt it.
I suspect the IT infrastructure alone has been updated massively with high security since 1997 when the public internet use was still in its toddler years.
My little house is due for major renovations and I could easily blow way more than 30k
That was my point. If the property needs major investment, £30k ain’t cutting it.
Plus, it didn't need refurbishing.0 -
Clearly it's about right for a refurb "at that level". But he can't afford that level.rjsterry said:
I realise some are struggling to grasp this, but £200k really isn't that much to refurbish and refurnished a decent sized flat at that sort of level.elbowloh said:
Who said anything about major updates. This was £200k to decorate and furnish by all accounts. And this is per year!morstar said:
I get that but major updates to an old building could easily exceed £30kelbowloh said:
They get £30k a year from government for renovations and repairs.morstar said:Not seen any of the numbers but the numbers are potentially meaningless.
It’s an old property and could have undergone structural work at some point.
If all these figures are solely on internal decoration and furnishings then the whole thing is a scandal but I somehow doubt it.
I suspect the IT infrastructure alone has been updated massively with high security since 1997 when the public internet use was still in its toddler years.
My little house is due for major renovations and I could easily blow way more than 30k
That was my point. If the property needs major investment, £30k ain’t cutting it.0 -
The argument isn’t really about the cost per se.elbowloh said:rjsterry said:
I realise some are struggling to grasp this, but £200k really isn't that much to refurbish and refurnished a decent sized flat at that sort of level.elbowloh said:
Who said anything about major updates. This was £200k to decorate and furnish by all accounts. And this is per year!morstar said:
I get that but major updates to an old building could easily exceed £30kelbowloh said:
They get £30k a year from government for renovations and repairs.morstar said:Not seen any of the numbers but the numbers are potentially meaningless.
It’s an old property and could have undergone structural work at some point.
If all these figures are solely on internal decoration and furnishings then the whole thing is a scandal but I somehow doubt it.
I suspect the IT infrastructure alone has been updated massively with high security since 1997 when the public internet use was still in its toddler years.
My little house is due for major renovations and I could easily blow way more than 30k
That was my point. If the property needs major investment, £30k ain’t cutting it.
It really is. Look how much every other PM spent apart from Blairrjsterry said:
I realise some are struggling to grasp this, but £200k really isn't that much to refurbish and refurnished a decent sized flat at that sort of level.elbowloh said:
Who said anything about major updates. This was £200k to decorate and furnish by all accounts. And this is per year!morstar said:
I get that but major updates to an old building could easily exceed £30kelbowloh said:
They get £30k a year from government for renovations and repairs.morstar said:Not seen any of the numbers but the numbers are potentially meaningless.
It’s an old property and could have undergone structural work at some point.
If all these figures are solely on internal decoration and furnishings then the whole thing is a scandal but I somehow doubt it.
I suspect the IT infrastructure alone has been updated massively with high security since 1997 when the public internet use was still in its toddler years.
My little house is due for major renovations and I could easily blow way more than 30k
That was my point. If the property needs major investment, £30k ain’t cutting it.
Plus, it didn't need refurbishing.
It’s more he gets what seems to be a not unreasonable 30 odd grand a year for upkeep.
Anything above that you pay yourself. Fine - Cameron did, Blair did.
It’s more, if he claims he can’t afford it, why is he breaking rules to take money from other people to do it?
Either you can afford if and you do if or you don’t and you don’t.
What does it say about his approach to governance?
Whatever the explanation, and you can imagine a few ways to cut it, he comes out badly.
We shouldn’t lose sight that the bigger scandal by far are the billions pandemic contracts to mates wholly unsuited to the work which then got in the way of legitimate contracts *in the middle of a pandemic*2
