With The High Wages And Other Perks

[DrFilth]

do they need the free travel passes ?


Champagne quaffing Tory members heading to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester this week will receive free `System One' travel passes for bus, trains and trams, worth around £130,000, courtesy of local council tax payers of Salford and Greater Manchester.

The estimated 4,000 Tory Party members attending the five day event (out of 12,000 delegates) will receive a free System One travel pass, for which the nearest equivalent – a County Card – would normally cost £33.30.

Give or take a few blue rinses and pinstriped prats from the City, the full cost works out around £130,000. The Conservative Party Conference website states…

"System One are pleased to offer complimentary travel cards for all Party Member representatives attending the event. These will be valid on bus, tram and train travel in Greater Manchester and will be presented in a travel pack with map and further information on getting around Greater Manchester. This will be issued with your Conference security photographic pass and handbook…"

http://www.conservativepartyconference.org.uk/

[emmie]

no surprise, i have known about that for long time, we used to get union reps in a place i worked, they could drink most under the table and were not known to stint on nice expensive food, just because they are socialists doesn't mean to say it's all flat caps, pies and pints.

[Eve]

Em, it might not be allowed to drink on buses (though the coffee culture has kind of overtaken the general no drinks) though it's rare I've seen someone tackled about it or refused to be let on with alcohol - many people have passes and just file on (charge may be more appropriate at rush hour!) so would often go unnoticed and when people are tackled it tends to result in some kind of standoff with much vile language and criminal damage taken out on the bus, usually kicking and hitting it on the way off after the police have been called etc...

I doubt I'd spot many of them, on a bus or not (I can't see it somehow haha!) save the more well known ones who will probably be safely holed up in their little cocoon patrolled by armed police or ferried to wherever they need to go. Can't see Cameron et al using their System One somehow!

I would love to see Boris riding around on his bike though if he will be there.

Ahh Gauchos - room for one more? ;)

[DrFilth]

> paint drying stuff during the day and pie and chips at night <

plus plenty of gravy , sorted

[Sqad]

DrF...LOL

[DrFilth]

anotheoldgit > Obviously an anti Tory post. <

shudder at the thought -)

[DrFilth]

SALFORD MARCH TO CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE


TORIES NOT WELCOME HERE

Salford March and Rally
Sunday 29th September
Meet Bexley Square 10am

The Salford march, as part of the huge TUC demo telling the Tories they are not welcome here, goes from Bexley Square on Chapel Street this Sunday. Before it sets off to join the main TUC march there'll be a short rally with the theme of the day… `Save Our NHS'…`Defend Jobs and Services'…`No To Austerity'.

[Eve]

The other big march is starting, Liverpool Road I think, round bits of town and up to Whitworth Park. I'm thinking it's going to be a nightmare avoid public transport round the city centre day on Sunday if possible!

[DrFilth]

woofgang > So the taxpayers aren't paying it <

System One' is co-owned by Transport for Greater Manchester, which is funded by Salford Council and the nine other local councils.


looks like the taxpayers are paying for it to me

[Eve]

http://www.tuc.org.uk/industrial/tuc-22405-f0.cfm

Yep, it's the TUC NHS ones.

Some of the flyers I've spotted about were far more offensive!

[woofgang]

sqad, I have seen footage on Tv of the evening activities so not at all surprised

[DrFilth]

Eve make sure you have a camera with you , never forget what has happened in the past
.
.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA2ITFJsbfI

[boxtops]

Doesn't seem unreasonable to me - we claim travel expenses or get rail warrants if we go to conferences and meetings - giving out the passes saves a lot of post-event paperwork in people claiming back their expenses.