Tuesday 5 May 2009
Taxis on the Taxpayer
It has been revealed that the Home Office spent more than £1 million on taxis last year and a further £900,000 on private car hire.
In 1997, when Labour came to power promising not to enjoy the trappings of power, the total bill was just £30,000.
The Conservative Party, which obtained these figures in a Parliamentary written answer, has condemned the expenditure as outrageous.
Shadow police reform minister David Ruffley said: “With the country in recession this is utterly disgraceful. I am struggling to understand why Home Office ministers are not clamping down on what they spend on taxis, especially at this difficult economic time.”
Barnet Council Watch agrees with Mr Ruffley entirely. Hands up who wants to tell him about a certain Barnet councillor?
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Great post again DCMD.
I wonder if it would provide an interesting follow-up post to do just as you suggest - and tell Mr Ruffley all about Councillor Brian Coleman.
Just in case any of your readers have forgotten btw:
* In July 2007 he was criticised by Livingstone for spending £10,000 on taxi fares from 1st April 2006 to 30th March 2007, compared to the average figure for a London Assembly member of around £845. This period coincided with the six months that Coleman was banned from driving.
* A GLA audit panel report in October 2007 showed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £1740 in the period 1st April 2007 to 31st August 2007. This accounted for one third of all cab expenses for the Mayor and 25 GLA members. He was criticised by Livingstone for "creating a chauffeur service for himself" and by the leader of the Barnet Council Labour group for his "breathtaking arrogance".
* A further GLA audit panel report in March 2008 revealed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £4157 in the period 1st April 2007 to 31st December 2007. This accounted for half of all cab expenses for the Mayor and 25 GLA members. Livingstone asked "Brian Coleman must explain to Londoners how he can possibly justify spending more on taxis in four weeks than the average Assembly member does in nine months."
* In the Metro Newspaper, Coleman claimed not to use taxis but said he thought he was being ferried about in 'an official GLA car'. They reported that in December 2007 he ran up a £412.50 cab fare on a round-trip from his home in Finchley to a nearby meeting where the driver kept the meter running before taking him to City Hall.
* Another GLA audit panel report in July 2008 revealed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £8231 in the period 1st April 2007 to 31st March 2008. This accounted for nearly half of all the cab expenses of the Mayor and 25 assembly members. On one day alone Coleman ran up a cab bill of £656. Speaking to the Metro Newspaper, assembly member Jenny Jones said that he justifies the expense because he has taken to wearing gold chains from another era - "He doesn't need to wear these chains but his ego's out of its cage".
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Brian Coleman (aka Mr Toad) has GOT to go!:
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