Bluegrass Consulting: Blueblog

Tuesday: 02 June

In light of the recent Freedom of Information disclosure of MPs expenses in UK politics - most famously Sir Peter Viggers claiming around £30,000 in Gardening expenses including £1,645 for a “duck island” - we wondered what other scandals involving perks for politicians have been causing an uproar around the world recently.

In this week’s Economist an article “The worst of times the best of times” revealed some of the more contentious European perks making headlines this year including:

In Spain earlier this year, hostile headlines centered on a €480,000 armoured Audi bought by the president of the western region of Galicia (who already had three other limousines).

In Belgium’s depressed French-speaking region of Wallonia, it was a taxpayer-funded “working visit” to America by members of the Walloon parliament. Its highlights included tours of the Grand Canyon, Napa Valley vineyards and Alcatraz prison; the 11-day trip in April involved just four days of meetings, including one with experts on farming in arid regions, a joke not appreciated back in rain-lashed Belgium.

In Australia - it was revealed that many current MPs have been claiming an away from home allowance while staying in their own homes and using it to pay off their mortgage.

What other political perks and schemes have you seen?

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