Snouts in the Trough : Peter Hain Again
Guido does not begrudge Peter Hain his boy-racer passion for fast cars. In his own younger days Guido was known to race about in a Lotus Elise and do the odd handbrake turn in a rally car. As these pictures show Hain enjoyed himself immensely dressing up and racing cars at a Rally Ireland event in Sligo.
Unlike Peter Hain, Guido paid for his boy-racer jollies out of his own pocket rather than charge it to the taxpayer. Guido's flights and helicopters were at his own expense. Peter Hain charged to the taxpayer the £10,754 costs of his flights and expenses. There is no political justification for this, he is just enjoying himself at the taxpayers expense. No doubt he will claim some bogus "security" justification. Look at his smile in these pictures, he is laughing at you the taxpayer. Since when has a playboy lifestyle been the chargeable expense of a minister of the crown? He should get his turbocharged snout out of the trough and pay back every penny.
51 comments:
You'll try to tell me next his tanning sessions are charged to the taxpayers.
No hat tip to the Belfast Telegraph who ran this story last night.
Dead tree guys beat Guido!
Um ... Guido, why do you think people go into politics?
Why all this sniping ?
By now we should be well familiar with the NuLaour creed that taxpayers are here to bankroll ministers jollies.
As for this smirking tosser, hopefully an oil-spill at a sharp, adverse-camber bend will take care of his motor racing pretensions.
Is Peter Hain the most repellent New Labour jobsworth? I certainly think he's in the top two or three.
You wot? Guido, do you also demand that the directors of every firm you hold equity in travel by Ryanair instead of private jet? or that they don't spend company cash on 'fripperies' like profile-raising and marketing at public events?
Utter nonsense. Why aren't you holding the private sector to the same standards you expect of ministers?
It just speaks volumes that he has the cheek to even do it.
In olden days, indulging in this sort of behaviour (misappropriating taxpayers money that is, not going rallying) would have resulted in justifiable outrage and disgrace not to mention possible criminal sanction. Even his party would have been disgraced by his behaviour.
I doubt he'll have to remove his snuot from the trough , and I think there's even less chance of a repayment of the money, but any repayment should include interest at a commercial rate as well.
Doesn't he look fetching, though?
I certainly did hat-tip the Belfast Telegrap yesterday. See the above link.
And my source for the update was the same - the pictures were taken from Hain's own website. Look on their gratis use as a little tax rebate. The Belfast Telegraph tipped me off to the existence of the photos as well. Guido guesses their lawyers were less permissive of the picture use than mine. OK I didn't ask my lawyers, but the point still holds. Sort of.
Sir Mong,
Private sector abuse of my money is something I can avoid.
I can sell my shares in a company, or even go short the shares of such a company. I can also stop buying their overpriced products.
Do you understand the difference?
Sir F******* mong you miss the point, this c*** is a public servant (excuse me while I laugh)
He generates f*** all but chaos and strife.
An executive of a public company can be forgiven for pissing the odd few quid away on a jolly as quite often corporate functions help to generate business.
This twat is a leech, by no stretch of the imagination could his fucking about in a rally car have any benefit to either his constituents or the country.
Another ponce who as never had a real job in his life.
I pray for WW3 just to shock mongs like yourself into the real world.
OK I didn't ask my lawyers
Only because she isn't home yet, and if dinner isn't ready when she is ,then you are in deep doo doo.
probably practicing for a quick get away , for when the fashion police catch up with him over the dodgy tan and hair do.
Very selective sense of humour has vain hain - didn't like it at all when the local lurcher lads picketed him in his constituency house.
Guido,
Playing devils advocate here, just for shits and giggles...
You can avoid public waste by selling your shares/stop buying their product... vote for the other guys, if enough shareholders agree at the 5 yearly general meeting problem solved.
In the meantime we are in the middle of a contract we can't get out of, but I bet come the glorious revoltion Princess Dave will stop all these jollies.
Hain though, he does remind me of the Spitting Image B-Side... never met a nice south african...
Miscreant directors can be sacked at the ANNUAL shareholders' meeting or sooner by EGM. How TF do we, i.e., those paying for this, get rid of Hain (or Prescott) in present circs? Hain will survive into the forthcoming government of the Brown Nose Partym and Prescott until Blair falls off his political perch. Make this git pay it all back TO US, with knobs on.
get a life says the tanned Piggie.
Does Hain's freebie schedule ever take him to Twickenham? He was pretty unpopular there in 1969-1970. Have they kissed and made up or is he still 'wanted dead or alive'?
pj said......... a very valid point. The hypocrisy of this day-glo Tommy Sheridan clone is what really pisses me off.
This is the man who happily threw nails onto rugby pitches during his principled objections to the apartheid regime in South Africa. Anyone noticed his principled objections to the racist policies of the Zimbabwe government against the white farmers? No, neither did I because it's not a trendy bandwagon to jump on.
Wankers, all of them.
Hain has now told the Belfast Telegraph to "get a life".
The whole front of the paper today replies: "Pay for your own hobbies Mr Hain".
The Telegraph has also put posters up on all its news-stands around the city centre reading: "Get a life, says Mr Hain."
Of course, if the Blackened Tan was prepared to direct this sort of language towards Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams, he might actually get somewhere in the job you generous English people are paying him to do...
Don't you mean Lotus Elite? or is Elise part of a totty report from your younger days? I think we should be told...
Power and publicity were meat and drink to the young idealist that was Hain.Then he was funded by Christian Aid(sic). Now we pay for his vanities and pleasures. He is a dangerous twat because he has some say in NI affairs. He reports to Gerry Adams. Would be nice to see him hit a tree.
No it was an Elise.
And I thought the Elise was a typo, knowing only of the earlier Lotus Elite. Well done Guido - and thanks. We learn a little something every day - that's why we come here, of course.
According to www.edmunds.com, the US car site, the Elise is "may be the best car in the world — if all you need it to do is stay ahead of whatever's chasing it. If Bonnie and Clyde had a 2006 Lotus Elise they might still be on the run..."
Hmmm - I can think of a few people who could use an Elise right now...
.
"The Secretary of State said he had checked protocol with the Northern Ireland Office and no one could remember a time when travelling to the Republic was not done in this way.
The Dublin trip, last February, involved attendance at a rugby match between Ireland and Wales, and an official lunch hosted by the British Ambassador."
(Belfast Telegraph)
But I bet Hain didn't tell the NI Office he was going on a *private* jolly when he asked them about transport. And getting the British Ambassador in Dublin to host 'an official lunch' just to give him a fig-leaf pretext for his private plane looks very slippery.
He doesn't get it, does he: being a Minister does not entitle him to a Day - or several - at the Races at our expense. Gus O'Donnell should interview the NI civil servant who gave Hain his OK, and ask if (s)he was aware of the Minister's intention.
Did he once live in Putney near a bookshop?
Enough is enough. No taxation without acceleration!
Deadpan. Nice.
Sir Mong, you fail (as does Hain) to distinguish between personal use and professional use. No-one objects to company directors using jets for company business. Different matter if they're ripping the shareholders off for their own personal benefit. Check out Greg Hutchings, who was forced to resign as CEO of Tomkins (a FTSE 100 company he virtually created) because of his use of company jets etc for his personal use.
So to give an unsought answer to your no doubt rhetorical question - yes, he should have taken Ryanair, or maybe paid for 1st class BA. But he crossed the line and had to go.
So should Hain. Not just for his shameless lushing, more for being an orange twat.
Mr Mcgoo, have you forgotten the typewriter ribbon incident that was all a vast mis understanding. The man only wants loads of OUR money, power and a make over. You just wait until he is prime Minister or President Hain. You'll see how tuff he is. Just Like Jeff the archer!!
government expenditure for '06-'07 is £552 billion. £10,754...the figure mentioned in the blog as misuse of government money...is so so trivial.
Yeah, you're right, aren't you Anonymous moron 9.53. It's fine to rob 10 grand if it's only a small percentage of total spending. That's why I'm comfortable with my habit of stealing Mars Bars from my local corner shop.
But, you know, I can't work out how much it's decent to steal before it becomes immoral (or in your parlance non-trivial). I'm quite keen to move up to jumbo packs of blue mountain coffee, and maybe a pork pie and a can of Stella for lunch. You sound like a savvy kinda guy who can fill in the grey area for me. Exactly how much of the budget is it ok for me to steal before you start feeling uneasy?
anoymous
Yes it is trivial but. What should concern us is how much does a minister spend/bribe on allowing others to take the piss out of the tax payer, so that they dont blow the whistle on the minister. How much are the BBC for instance asking for? You dont hear to much complaining about civil-service pay and pensions either.
"government expenditure for '06-'07 is £552 billion. £10,754...the figure mentioned in the blog as misuse of government money...is so so trivial."
Mr Prescott,
All these trivial expenditures add up. Besides, it's the principle that counts.
Alternately it could pay a nurse for six months. Hardly that trivial. Rather like saying there were 50 million murders in WWII, so why persue Eichmann for killing 90000 Hungarians? Bollox of course, as I am sure you realise.
anon 9:53
It wouldn't be trivial to you if Hain and his boys personally turned up to demand 10 grand from you so he can go jollying.
Neither is he likely to give you said 10 grand so you can do your thing.
He should be doing this out of his own money, or if you're a libdem, some foreigner's dosh.
Nice red bootees, maybe a house will fall on him.
The clearest indication yet that he's in training for the DPM job.
colin d. - "have you forgotten the typewriter ribbon incident"
Hain typewriter ribbon incident. Nope, rings no bells. Can you jog our memories?
given that government (any government) wastes billions......should our energies be focussed on the billions or the £10,754?
"garypowell said...
anoymous
Yes it is trivial but. What should concern us is how much does a minister spend/bribe on allowing others to take the piss out of the tax payer, so that they dont blow the whistle on the minister. How much are the BBC for instance asking for? You dont hear to much complaining about civil-service pay and pensions either. "
Mr Powell, your reply is bit less hysterical and bit more intelligent.
So here is my response...I agree that the BBC is on too comfortable a wicket. The point about the civil service is rather intriguing. given that the skeltons are always hidden predominantly at the top of the cupboard I don't believe that the government is in love with the whole of the civil service. as you may be aware they are desperately trying to change its culture.
Anonymong 3.25: You make the point beautifully. Some waste is unavoidable, so long as we have politicians, irritating but inevitable perhaps. But if you were looking for a definition of avoidable waste you couldn't do much better than a middle-aged man flying over to Ireland in a private jet, dressing up in a jump suit and red bootees, burning a lot of high-performance rubber and then handing us the bill.
Put it like this - we have a vast collection of drones "running the country" (that's what they like to think).
If we stop 100,000 bad spending decisions/thefts at 10,000 a pop.... And they make many more decisions than that a year, many of them for far more money....
The countries where theft/mismanagement has brought down the conomy are an interesting example. It generally isn't El Presidente for life sending all the cash to Switzerland that is the death blow. It's all the leaches each taking what seems like a small piece of the pie.
I have no experience of government whatsoever.
I do have experience of being a father of 4 children being a boy-scout PL and directly employing over 100 young and not so young workers. This experience has shown me that if you let one take the piss even the best of them will take the piss in the end. IF the person responsible, in this case the Prime Minister, does not root out and or discipline the BAD APPLE, bad apples is all he will have. With no respect or authority to lead in the right direction. Tony blair may have learnt a few possitive practical things from the great lady, but he has clearly not learnt from John Magors mistakes.
Mr Comstock (11.58pm).
Question is straigtforward. Either you support the institutions of this country or you do not.
Improve the institutions, if you want. The individual (politician)is so so trivial in comparison. RAISE YOUR GAME.
ps - I do not know who Anonymous 11.08am is!
Golly gosh you are all so cynical..! Peter Hain is wearing red boots can you not see that..? Why is he wearing red boots..? Because he has just finished his yearly stint doing the Santa Claus 'run' delivering presents to all the little children all over the world..! In the picture he is resting after taking off his red robes and fake beard... And YOU dare to sneer at this great man for this..? Tsk..! For shame..! I wonder if we the taxpaying public get to pay for the petrol he uses in his rallying too and for car servicing and whatever other little extras might be involved..?
Anonymong 1.54pm:
Are you a civil servant? It's just your logic seems to be somewhat flawed.
By institutions, do you mean things like "motor-racing" or things like "democracy"? I'm quite keen on democracy actually, in fact it's precisely because Hain is one of our democratically elected representatives (important word that) that he shouldn't have his orangey little hands in the till. People call it a "belief in democracy" because it requires you to have faith in the people who act on your behalf. You have to trust them. You can't trust someone who seems to think flagrant theiving is alright.
PS: I suggest you assume a monicker, it helps to avoid the kind of hilarious confusion that you've so cleverly noted in your PS.
One point I don't think anyone has raised so far: it looks suspiciously like a team racing suit that he's wearing, and it does seem to fit Hain quite well, as presumably do the boots. Obvious question: helmet as well? Gloves?
So was he given these as a PRESENT then? For keeps?
What is their total cash value? Has he declared them in the parliamentary register? Paid the VAT difference between R of I and UK? Handed them over to his permanent secretary? Can we ask which motor manufacturer (or cigarette company?) sponsored the gifts? And given Hain's remit concerning trade and manufacturing in NI, did he declare an interest? What meetings did he have with the sponsors?
This could yet turn into another Prezzagate.
That gary powell sounds like a Victorian Mill Owner. His comments show a real lack of respect. You cannot treat everyone the same.
I speak as a former Army Commander with experience of war situations, in charge of thousands, not one hundred! and am appalled that this man Powell considers his views on life as useful.,
Mr Powell is a genetic throwback to the worst of Dicken's characters!
Gordon Comstock said...
Anonymong 1.54pm:
Are you a civil servant? It's just your logic seems to be somewhat flawed.
-----
rather amusing implication with regards to the civil service given that, as stated in the July issue of Prospect magazine (http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7539) ....The civil service elite is the last refuge of the British intellectual.
At 10:07 PM, Gordon Comstock said...
"Anonymong 1.54pm:
I'm quite keen on democracy actually"
-------
really?
with the same effort that you have put into blogging, you could have composed and sent an email to your MP or even better to the relevant select committee about Mr Hain.
Moan, Moan, Moan.
it's time for action, boys & girls.
(of this blog)
you have the technology and more importantly the power.
Sir Mong - You can choose to put your money in private companies. In that case its your own fault for making a bad choice, and you can take your money back out.
No choice if El Gordo is taking more and more money off you to feed the NuLab jollies they so love. Its the law, unless you have someone who knows how to fiddle things like Lord Cashpoint.
Anonymong 11.37:
Actually it was the reference to the "institutions of this country" that made me think you were a civil servant. Only a civil servant could believe in such a pat little consolation for a life of grey tedium.
At any rate, I take it you're not part of the "civil service elite" as you put it? Go on, surprise me.
Anonymong 11.52 (I thought there was a policy on these people).
If you believe posting on this blog is such a waste of time why are you, erm, posting on this blog?
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