Fwd: Blair asks for discount at Cornish hotel - Ananova Alerting
Originally from: Molly Maxwell
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From: ...
Originally from: "Ananova" <533...>
To: Molly Maxwell <...>
Subject: Blair asks for discount at Cornish hotel – Ananova Alerting Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 07:07:40 GMT
A managing director at a hotel in Cornwall says Downing Street asked for a discount when Tony Blair stayed.
The four-star Nare Hotel in Veryan-in-Roseland, Truro, was asked by Downing Street if they could offer a reduced rate on a £235-a-night suite.
Mr Blair, his wife Cherie and their four children instead chose to stay at the four-star Carlyon Bay hotel in St Austell.
Toby Ashworth, the Nare's managing director told The Daily Telegraph: "The whole business was incredibly badly handled considering the Prime Minister was on a public relations jaunt to an area affected by foot and mouth disease.
"How dare he ask for discounts in the height of the season."
The Carlyon Bay refused to comment on whether it offered Mr Blair a discount, the newspaper reports. A Downing Street spokesman refused to be drawn on the Blairs' holiday arrangements.
*Foot-and-mouth – All stories story sent by Ananova
Originally from: Duncan
I wonder where the meat that the hotel served them came from. Was it local or do you think it was specially flown in from Argentina, or Brazil or any other God dam Country.
Perhaps we could ask the hotel – just to see how much their holiday in this Country really was 'British'
Coleen
Coleen
Originally from: David
He who gave himself a massive pay rise, at our expense, as soon as he won the election – without any prior notification. I maintain if he had announced this in the election campaign, the result might have been different.
David
Originally from: Susan Staunton
I am no fan of Tony Blair's but I feel we need to keep a sense of perspective here.
- I seriously doubt it was Mr Blair himself who asked for a discount 2. Even if it was, he was only taking the advice of all the financial gurus who tell you to ask for a discount on every occasion when you are spending substantial amounts of money – people do it to me all the time, not only at my B&B but also at the country shopping outlet where I work one day a week. Usually they get it in one form or another, why should Mr Blair be excluded from that.
- I seriously doubt that the election result would have been remotely different – the British Prime Minister is, and has historically been, dramatically underpaid if you compare his/her annual salary with that of the so-called "captains of industry" or even his wife, a mere QC on £250,000 a year.
- Mr Blair's pay rise follows on from years when he prevented both not only his cabinet ministers but also himself from taking the pay rise allotted to them.
Originally from: Bryn Wayt
Hi Sue,
Please Don't defend Blair.......he is a prat that has cost this country dearly, and deserves no sympathy.
Not to mention a pay rise during the run up to an election was cowardly and then having won, to award it as the ink was drying, rubbed salt into the wound. If he made a rod for his own back by not taking normal pay rises, then he should live with it.
We all ask for discounts in 'normal' working lives, but if your wife is on £250,000 is such a petty item on the agenda ? You trim your sails if you have to......does he really have to ?
It is a pity he does not take other advice so readily....like VACCINATE healthy animals NOW.......and let's have a Public Inquiry. The bugger got a Public Inquiry on BSE which had cost the nation £3.5 billion so what advice has he taken to say reject a Public Inquiry on FMD that has cost the nation £20 BILLION plus ?
Regards,
Bryn
Originally from: Susan Staunton
Sorry Bryn if you read my mail you would see it said I was no fan of Tony Blair and merely asked that we get things into perspective since I dont think discounted holidays are particularly relevant to foot and mouth. It seems strange to me also that when all of you are roundly condemning the Prime Minister for the strategy he and his Minister and advisors have adopted over the Foot and Mouth Crisis and I raise (as I have down on numerous occasions) the question that the Opposition parties would not have handled the situation significantly differently or any better since nothing they have uttered inclines me to believes that, I never get anything back to dispute it. Of course if anyone has any weight of evidence to suggest that the Tories or Lib Dems would have lept to vaccination on day one of the outbreak or would have immediately terminated the flawed contiguous cull policy after May 16 I would very much like to read it and revise my opinion accordingly. Failing that I believe we have to decide whether we are making party political points or attacking the Government of the Day (as we would have done if we had been a BSE group when John Gummer was shoving beefburgers down his daughters throat???) for their abysmal handling of this situation.
Best wishes as ever
Sue
Originally from: Bryn Wayt
Hi Sue,
I always read your mails.......you should know that........as I know you would not wave the flag for TB.
We all want to get things into perspective, and the perspective I have on Blair is that he got a Public Inqiry for the BSE debacle when he shouted his mouth off that the country was down £3.5 billion, and yet using the perspective of £20 BILLION plus, the rat fails the taxpayer big time.
As you know, I hate politics, and I would not argue the toss who would have done better or worse during this FMD holocaust.
All I know is this clown is making a complete farce of animal welfare, and we should stop the slaughter and vaccinate.
You are right, discounted holidays have no relevance to FMD, but the matter was raised and deserved criticism was levelled at Blair.
The only way anybody would be able to prove the other parties would have acted differently is to see their parties own "contigency plans" for an FMD outbreak – nobody will ! So it is left undone.
I make no bones about it, I am "attacking the government of the day" for their abysmal failures in tackling this curable disease. I'm not out to make party political points.
Take care Sue.......and no discounts to your B&B guests !
Cheers,
Bryn
Originally from: Susan Staunton
I am a businesswoman Bryn and if it means giving a £5 discount to get £45 through the door for the room then I will give it, especially this year otherwise they will just trundle off down the road to the lady who will sell them a room for £40. I just get out the bacon from Botswana, the sausages from Lesotho and the Black Pudding from Namibia and give them that instead – please before anyone replies in a fury, no I dont honestly it all comes from Morayshire!
On a more serious note I couldnt agree with you more about why Blair is doing his darnedest to avoid a public enquiry – again though I am sure whichever Prime Minister of the day it was, he/she would be doing the same. As J Major said "politics is a rough trade"
Originally from: David
Hi Sue,
I'll send you the membership form for the labour party!
Blair just got under my skin by announcing that pay rise – out of the blue. I agree the same party would be in power but with a few less seats – much better!
Also as an exploited farmer who has seen tens of thousands of pounds wiped off gross income, (hence living on fresh air – very healthy) I get angry at the huge pay rises business bosses and the like award themselves plus their massive bonuses the rest of us think is a lottery win. I am getting more and more concerned at fat cats, multinational companies and globalisation which appears to get fat at the expense of producers in ALL countries, especially developing countries where it would not harm the multinational company if it paid a little more for the products it buys – as it is so cheap in those countries in the first place – without seeking to drive the price below the cost of production – all the time. – Ah! That's better!
It only requires producers to sell through very large co-ops. If only...........
David
Originally from: Joyce
Hi Sue,
Personally, I would attack ANY government that held onto the present policy, which is why for the first time in my life I did NOT vote for any of the 'main' parties. I had correspondence with Tim Yeo and simply could not understand why he and his fellow conservatives did not trounce the labour lot over this! Love,
Joyce
Originally from: Susan Staunton
Hi David
Glad you feel better for that <G> Please dont send me the membership form as I think the money spent on the postage could be put to much better use since I am quite certain I do not have the credentials to be one of the "wimmin" in "Noo Labour"; I am far too busy cleaning toilets and ironing bed linen with one hand and vacuuming and gardening with the other for anything that cerebral!
Anyway your rant wasnt wasted on me at all. Not only do I agree, but you have – as I am sure you are aware – my full sympathy in what you are contending with in order to make a decent sustainable living. I do hope that Heart of Britain can fulfil its ambitions in at least doing something to assist in that.
Now since you might possibly have become aware that I find it hard to remain too serious for too long I thought you might have a little laugh at this wholly off-topic joke I saw on a card in Glasgow yesterday (and when you've read it you will say to yourself – where else)
Husband: I'm away off to the pub, get your coat on
Wife: Why are you taking me with you Hen?
Husband: No I'm turning the heating off
Best wishes
Sue
Originally from: Roger Ledger
Come on folks,be fair.
Poor Tone,he has got a family to support!!
Globalisation? Keep an eye on the Labour Conference in Brighton. Remember Genoa? My mate Tone saying "Protesters are RIFF-RAFF"!!
Well,he `aint seen nuffink yet!! Riff-Raff or not.
Fair Trade? He and his Dear Wife Support it!! Thought you knew?
Want some Websites?
www.johnpilger.com Have a look and get a free brochure on it all. www.fairtrade.org.uk speaks for itself.
www.ciwf.co.uk Compassion in World Farming.
There are obviously lots more. Have a look,if we dont already qualify,we may need to in a few more months. My mate Tone could apply for a Free Subscription. Poor bloke.Looks like he is in for a busy time when he eventually gets back from his Hols.Perhaps he may even justify his wages.Any bets? He will just find another excuse to runaway and leave it to somebody else to sort out.Mans`a coward.Can`t stand confronation. My teenage daughter thought he was `sweet`.Then Tone announced the Election date in a Junior School. Poor Tone was`nt sweet any more,he became a `sleeze-bag`.Then later in the Election,poor Tone did something else sleezy and was immediately promoted to the ranks of a Total "Dick-Head". Nice talk from a delightful young Lady dont you think? Could`nt help agreeing with her though. Out of the mouths of Babes and all that.
Sorry,you are all probably watching the football? Another bunch of over paid `t....rs` in my view. Hope we win though. Roger Ledger.
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