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	<title>Wine Of The Week &#187; foreign office wine</title>
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		<title>Forget About Expenses, What Are MP&#039;s Hiding in Their Cellars?</title>
		<link>http://www.wineoftheweek.co.uk/2009/05/11/forget-about-expenses-what-are-mps-hiding-in-their-cellar/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wineoftheweek.co.uk/2009/05/11/forget-about-expenses-what-are-mps-hiding-in-their-cellar/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2009 17:38:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gavino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[WOTW News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foreign office wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hazel blears motorbike]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mp's expenses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ron foster mp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[taxpayers alliance]]></category>

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As the Daily Telegraph continues to expose the creative expense claim strategies of Britain&#8217;s p*ss poor elected officials, the story of the governments £800k wine stash seems to have sadly disappeared into the news void. I for one have limited interest in whether motorbike-loving MP Hazel &#8220;Bright Eyes&#8221; Blears makes a bit of dosh on [...]]]></description>
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<p>As the Daily Telegraph continues to expose the creative expense claim strategies of Britain&#8217;s p*ss poor elected officials, the story of the governments £800k wine  stash seems to have sadly disappeared into the news void.</p>
<p>I for one have limited interest in whether motorbike-loving MP Hazel &#8220;Bright Eyes&#8221;  Blears makes a bit of dosh on selling her second home, but I do have a problem with the Foreign Office hoarding 39,500 bottles of wine under Whitehall.</p>
<p>The situation came to light after Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster confronted the government on the matter in parliament and then accusing them of &#8220;living beyond their means&#8221;.  Foreign Office minister Gillian Merron confirmed that the value of the wine, spirits and liqueurs stands at around £792,000.</p>
<p>Mr Foster then undid all his good work with the  following patently ridiculous statement &#8220;Rather than wasting public money on expensive bottles of wine, it could be used to help get Britain out of its economic problems.&#8221;  Silly man.</p>
<p>Another silly man (Mark Wallace of right wing fruitcakes &#8220;The Taxpayers Alliance&#8221;) also missed the point with this piece of drivel:</p>
<p style="outline-width:0;outline-style:initial;outline-color:initial;font-size:100%;margin:0;padding:0 0 10px;"> &#8220;It&#8217;s staggering that the Government has run up such a huge wine cellar at the taxpayers&#8217; expense. Given the tough economic conditions, they should commit to spend nothing on it this year and start using up some of the stock instead.&#8221;</p>
<p style="outline-width:0;outline-style:initial;outline-color:initial;font-size:100%;margin:0;padding:0 0 10px;">Both men seem to have missed the point. Surely the question here is &#8220;What are the wines and how can we claim our own personal share of them?&#8221;</p>
<p style="outline-width:0;outline-style:initial;outline-color:initial;font-size:100%;margin:0;padding:0 0 10px;">I for one table a motion that the Foreign Office throws a massive street party in Parliament Square which everyone can attend. As long as they can prove they don&#8217;t drink Blossom Hill or Black Tower. </p>
<p style="outline-width:0;outline-style:initial;outline-color:initial;font-size:100%;margin:0;padding:0 0 10px;">Anyone else got any ideas?</p>
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