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Saturday 27 October 2007

Sir John Bourn

I have been following this in Private Eye for months now and you can read plenty about it all over the blogosphere and in the dead tree press, the whole affair reeks to high heaven of snouts in the trough'ism. The Guardian has a little piece on four day's of Sir John's business dining, here's an extract...
"For a man hardly notable for his flamboyance, Sir John Bourn knew how to entertain. On June 11, the head of the National Audit Office - grey, bespectacled and known as Inspector Morse for his fastidious scrutiny of government accounts - met a government official for lunch at the Bibendum fish restaurant in Kensington. The bill: £86.01.
Later that evening, he was at Wilton's in Jermyn Street with another official, an outing costing £199. The following day it was the Goring hotel for lunch, with two guests and a colleague. That meal cost his employers (and by extension the taxpayer) £222.64."

Of course he was then abstemious for the rest of he week, wasn't he? Well he did only have an expenses paid lunch on Tuesday 12 June with a NAO colleague and two unspecified "guests" at The Goring - £222.64, no dinner listed.

On Wednesday 13 June the PAC met to discuss allegations that he had been indulging in excessive junketing, no lunch or dinner on expenses on that day.

On Thursday 14 June he had lunch at Brown's Hotel with a parliamentarian - £120.

Don't forget who is paying for his lunches and dinners, the taxpayer.

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