Saturday, May 09, 2009
It makes me puke
Times: Huge profits from sale of homes renovated with taxpayers’ money
While Mr Hoon was Defence Secretary and Leader of the House, he lived in a grace-and-favour apartment in Whitehall and used his constituency home in Derbyshire as his second home. Mr Hoon was able to claim the second home allowance and expenses to pay for thousands of pounds worth of renovations and refurbishments. During 2004 and 2006 Mr Hoon recarpeted his home, which he had owned since 1986. Before living in Admiralty Arch in Whitehall, Mr Hoon had another flat in London, which he subsequently rented and then sold. That property was bought for £150,000 in 1991 and disposed of for £475,000.
Posted by confused76 @ 07:49 PM (666 views) Add Comment
6 Comments
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1. icarus said...
This is nothing compared with what ex- civil servants are making by owning and managing 'enterprises' spun off from the government department for which they formerly worked.
For example- http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6211665.ece?token=null&offset=128page=2
It's about Actis, the the now-privatised fund-management arm of the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC). In addition to the content of the article it's worth adding that the 'independent' board which approved the sale of Actis to the future directors of the company was made up of.....the future directors of the company. Between them they have trousered millions, if not tens of millions, for little investment or risk. There was no semblance of a process of opening the ownership and control of Actis to external competition because, as Hillary Benn explained at the time, this would mean a "disruption to CDC's business".
The CDC's original role was to alleviate poverty in developing countries but 'development impact' is a minor part of its remit now. Far more important are financial returns on investment and attracting new capital. Its privileged position makes these targets not too difficult to hit. What's more Actis is far more likely to invest in mobile phones and shopping centres (which would attract private capital anyway, without any government spinoff company's assistance) than in the kind of small, rural enterprises that would make a developmental, poverty-alleviating difference.
Before Actis came into being QinetiQ, another scam with a similar pedigree, was the subject of a scathing report by the chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee. In it he wrote 'Never again should civil servants be permitted to pursue such a self-interested strategem'. Or else what? the Actis spivs might have jeered.
2. nomad said...
In a similar vein Solace Enterprises Ltd is a consultancy firm working in local government. They will help with recruitment and training, also making recommendations on pay and conditions, often by comparing positions in other authorities.
The company is wholly owned by the trade union organisation of the local authority chief executives and senior managers earning over a certain figure - the S ociety O f L ocal A uthority C hief E xecutives.
3. Norfolk&clue said...
In the words of John Lydon, ever get the feeling you've been cheated?
4. stillthinking said...
Scabby unpleasant low-life Labour. The tories got caught in women's underwear, or toe sucking games, but New Labour just gets grubby fingers caught in the till.
5. nomad said...
Here's a link to elaborate on item @ 2.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5439493.ece
Not a calming way to start a Sunday. Very effectively they have created their own circle in which they raise their own salaries, bonuses and pensions while receiving consultancy fees for doing it.
6. jackas said...
C****