MP Perks - Cheap drinks for them but not for us.

From Mr Eugenides. First up the MP's deal with the plebs, thats you and me.

Let's get right to it:

Pub happy hours should be banned and supermarkets stopped from selling alcohol at a loss in order to combat drink-fuelled disorder, MPs have said.

The Home Affairs select committee said reckless drinking was placing a heavy burden on police resources.

One possible solution for England and Wales, MPs said, would be legislation setting a minimum price on alcohol.

What a splendid idea! I propose setting up a pilot scheme in one of the worst crime hotspots in the country: the Palace of Westminster. Over to the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (PDF):

The House of Commons Refreshment Department operated on a subsidy of £5.5 million of taxpayers’ money in the 2007/08 financial year, equivalent to total annual tax receipts from 35 pubs. The subsidy, not published in the House of Commons’ Annual Accounts, was £693,000 higher than in 2006/07, a 15% increase.

It accounted for 43% of the Department’s operating costs, meaning that the taxpayer coughs up £4.30 for every £10 spent refreshing our politicians: even before they claim back their outgoings without receipts through the notorious expenses system.

There are at least 12 bars in the Parliamentary estate, excluding the various dining rooms, brasseries and banqueting suites. Unsurprisingly, given the MPs write their own laws as well as ours, they operate without a licence and have no restrictions on hours.

Given the level of subsidy, it is unsurprising that MPs can enjoy much cheaper drinks than their constituents. A pint of Foster’s in Stranger’s Bar costs £2.10, compared with a national average of £2.80 (33% higher) and a London average of around £3.00 (43% higher). A House of Commons 8-year-old Scotch costs £1.35, while our politicians can enjoy a Pimm’s on the Thames-side terrace for just £1.65.

Next time any politician, an I do many any starts a blathering on about "binge drinking", "feral drunken youths","anti-social behavour","costs to the state of binge drinking" etc then call them a duplicitous lying cuntfuck.

Now think on that first line where it relied on a subsidy of 5.5 million of our money. This just shows how inept the government is that it can not even run a bloody bar at a profit, hell even when its full of gin swilling over paid MP's! The subsidy even increased by 15%!

All this whilst some 5 pubs close a day, I bet they would love to get some of that subsidy. Sadly they are not pupulated by worthless MP's. 

Oh they have to operate in the free market, maybe MP's should consider that and add 10 or 20pence to the price of their drinkies...

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