Common sacrifices are demanded of all workers. Yet how have the senior politicians fared, the ones who are partly to blame for the mess we are in; are they making sacrifices?
Err…….No; as the below answer to a parliamentary question in October this year shows:
Mr Hollobone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how much each former Prime Minister claimed under the public duty costs allowance in each of the last five years; [76815]
(2) if he will review the (a) limit and (b) criteria of the public duty costs allowance for former Prime Ministers for the purposes of aligning the scheme with policy on administrative savings in Government Departments. [76835]
Mr Maude [holding answer 26 October 2011]: The amount claimed by each Prime Minister under the Public Duty Cost allowance for the last five years is listed in the following tables.
The tables set out how much was claimed for that year. The date the actual payment was made may not be in the same year that the claim relates to.
27 Oct 2011 : Column 339W
| 2006-07 | |
| £ | |
| John Major | 87,276.00 |
| Margaret Thatcher | 96,003.00 |
| Total | 183,279.00 |
| 2007-08 | |
| £ | |
| John Major | 90,504.96 |
| Margaret Thatcher | 99,554.00 |
| Total | 190,058.96 |
| 2008-09 | |
| £ | |
| John Major | 100,204.92 |
| Margaret Thatcher | 110,225.00 |
| Tony Blair | 169,076.02 |
| Total | 379,505.94 |
| 2009-10 | |
| £ | |
| John Major | 103,812.00 |
| Margaret Thatcher | 114,193.20 |
| Tony Blair | 103,812.00 |
| Total | 321,817.20 |
| 2010-11 | |
| £ | |
| Gordon Brown | 83,718.30 |
| Margaret Thatcher | 115,045.00 |
| John Major | 109,125.00 |
| Total | 307,888.30 |
PCS Independent Left 