Should a prime minister have personal holidays paid for?

[stockhausen]

What money was handed out? What bung? . . .

I think that has already been covered; if you really don't understand, read up on "Benefits in kind"; if you still don't understand, consult a tax lawyer.

. . . If anything we should be applauding the frugality.

It worries me (slightly) that any sentient being (even a Tory) would use the words Boris Johnson and frugality in the same sentence

 

[unwashed potato!]

except this isn’t a friends home or a friend of a friends home is it? Which makes it look even more dodgy when it’s perhaps 100% innocent.

like I said earlier. What happens if it turns out it’s owned by Putin and he gifted it to our PM? Would you still feel the same?

I'm surprised you've stopped there. Do you know who else was on the island? I'm sure if putin was holidaying there you'd have something to say about it.

What about the flight. Who paid for it. Who else was on it. Who was his girlfriend speaking to while there

 

[Greebo]

I'm surprised you've stopped there. Do you know who else was on the island? I'm sure if putin was holidaying there you'd have something to say about it.

What about the flight. Who paid for it. Who else was on it. Who was his girlfriend speaking to while there

you don’t know and I don’t know hence the bad optics and why he should have had the sense to turn it down or pay for it.

he paid for the flight himself btw

 

[dowie]

I do not have a role in handing out the public's money to my mates.
If I did, I would not be doing it in return for a bung.

So what public money did Johnson hand out in return for this holiday?

 

[stockhausen]

So what public money did Johnson hand out in return for this holiday?

I don't know; he (unsurprisingly) is very evasive about that.

Certainly Johnson seems to be very casual about wasting other people's money (e.g. the London Garden Folly, three door buses (which apparently aren't), useless riot control fire engines, etc.). However, I am quite certain that none of his chums were the beneficiaries of his largesse.

I do wonder if the ex-Chancellor was a bit too inquisitive? I'm sure that Rishi will be entirely different

 

[Rofflay]

If you keep the hamsters too busy spinning the wheel most of the time you get away with it. Bojo is one of many all MPs do this. Remember the 80k party for George Osbourne? He was in charge of finance was he not so how can bankers legally bung him 80k?

Or Paisleys Sri Lanka holiday or Bojo's holiday, Indees it is no duck house but still 15k? Christ i would coigh at that for a month long honey moon how long did he go for?

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

If it isn’t illegal it should be. He should pay for his own holiday. Obviously the State pays for his protection where ever he goes but neither the PM or any politician should be accepting gifts of this nature. People don’t give things like this for nothing. They’ll expect something in return. Saying previous PMs did it doesn’t make it right. Change the law, that’s what they are there for.

 

[unwashed potato!]

People don’t give things like this for nothing

Based on anything other than emotion?

 

[Bear]

Under bribery and corruption rules we aren’t allowed to be taken out for a posh dinner by suppliers let alone accept gifts of holidays etc. How is this even allowed

 

[stockhausen]

Under bribery and corruption rules we aren’t allowed to be taken out for a posh dinner by suppliers let alone accept gifts of holidays etc. How is this even allowed

Different rules apply if you are the Prime Minister, living a hand-to-mouth existence where you have to count every penny

 

[Greebo]

Under bribery and corruption rules we aren’t allowed to be taken out for a posh dinner by suppliers let alone accept gifts of holidays etc. How is this even allowed

when our MPs voted that law in they added a clause which means it doesn’t apply to MPs.

 

[Bear]

when our MPs voted that law in they added a clause which means it doesn’t apply to MPs.

Now theres a surprise, bit like their expenses rules I suppose

 

[unwashed potato!]

Under bribery and corruption rules we aren’t allowed to be taken out for a posh dinner by suppliers let alone accept gifts of holidays etc. How is this even allowed

But anyone not a supplier could take you out for a posh dinner...

 

[Greebo]

But anyone not a supplier could take you out for a posh dinner...

so on the basis we don’t know the relationship between who gifted the villa and the PM, how do we know they aren’t a supplier of HM government? Or will be?

 

[dowie]

Under bribery and corruption rules we aren’t allowed to be taken out for a posh dinner by suppliers let alone accept gifts of holidays etc. How is this even allowed

He wasn't given a holiday by a "supplier" - it was arranged by a friend.

Are you allowed to be taken out for dinner by your friends? Get a lift somewhere in your friends car etc..? Stay at a friend's house or holiday home?

I've had a few holidays where I've stayed at a friends property or in the case of my Scouse mate - his dodgy timeshare he got conned into buying and now can't get rid of

 

[unwashed potato!]

so on the basis we don’t know the relationship between who gifted the villa and the PM, how do we know they aren’t a supplier of HM government? Or will be?

But the guy asked why is it even allowed, but at this point no one has done anything. Innocent until proven guilty. Great you want to scrutinise the hell out of everything Boris does to the point you need to know which friend let Boris stay at his villa for free and why and what history they have and what company they have etc which is fine if you want to into that level for us and search for the hidden issues, but at this point it's only shown to be related to friends in one way or another as typically it would be. A friend of a friend helped a friend stay some where for free.

What did that person want back? At this moment so little as Boris doesn't even know who it was apparently. Maybe now that villa can advertise "British pm stayed here" ever think about that? That's a selling point right there.

 

[stockhausen]

. . . at this point no one has done anything. Innocent until proven guilty. . . .

Actually, as I understand it, Johnson "declared" a gift from someone who subsequently denied having anything to do with it so someone is being "less than honest".

However, as you say, "innocent until proven guilty" and Johnson is generally acknowledged to be 100% honest and truthful in all things