Would you do this?

[emmie]

Tony and Cherie Blair are hosting a party for their son 11 year old sons Leo's schools end of term party, but parents at the school are annoyed over being asked to stump up £10 each for a seat on the coach that will take them from London to the Blairs country home where the party will be held. The parents are banned from driving the children to the estate for security reasons. Even if the parents can afford it, seems a cheek, seeing how well off they are.

[joggerjayne]

They're not that well off.

Tony has only made £15million since leaving Number 10, and his appearance fees for dinners are only £25,000 per evening.

I can see why they a tenner. Those coaches are a couple of hundred quid. It will take Tony almost 50 seconds of guest speaking to earn that sort of money.

[starone]

Who are getting on the coach, the parents or the children? If it is just the children then the hosts of the party should be paying but if the parents are going for the questionable prestige of going to a party hosted by millionaire Labour EX Prime Minister Tony Blair then they should pay IMO. Personally, I wouldn't pay 10 pence to look at Tony Blair and his family.

[emmie]

60 million and counting as least thats what one article i looked at said
invite people to a party then charge them, thats just mean

[starone]

I agree em. I find it very distasteful to think that he is supposed to be a Labour supporter and yet has made so much money. The cost of a coach would be like a tiny drop in the ocean to him. But what is he doing? He has gone down yet another notch in my opinion, and he was down pretty far already.

[boxtops]

I wonder if TB told the school that there would be a charge when he offered to hold the party at his house? why can't the school pay?

[emmie]

no idea, but i wouldn't ask people to stump up for a party i organised.
It would have to be food, drink, music and the more the merrier.

[carmalee]

am not a fan of the Blairs but...... at the onset of the arrangements they did offer to pay for any family who was unable to afford a seat - and possibly they declined to pay for the coach outright in case others thought it patronising etc - don't shoot me - just trying to give a balanced view

[douglas9401]

It's obviously just a charge to offset the carbon produced by the coach as it wanders the country picking up the children of the gullible. Look, hey, I'm just doing my bit for the planet y'know.
Wouldn't it be sad if no-one attended?

[cathfromsaron]

not clever and bound to attract bad publicity!

why not just have a simple party at a play venue like everyone else i say??

cath x

[emmie]

The Blairs have agreed with the headmaster that if any family can't afford the cost of the coach, then they won't have to pay,
apparently the school has children from all different backgrounds, so some are obviously not particularly well off. I think its the principle more than the money. Parents cannot drive there, because of the high security the Blairs have.

[starone]

They certainly need the high security! I wonder who is paying for that - the taxpayers of this country? Fancy having to guard someone so detestable. Worse still, having to pay for it.

[emmie]

we pay for the high security.

[emmie]

Telegraph
Tony Blair's security team cost the taxpayer £250,000 a year
Bodyguards hired to protect former prime minister Tony Blair are costing the taxpayer £250,000 a year in expenses.

[cassa333]

If you put stipulations on an invite, such as you can't get there under your own steam, then you should be prepared to pay for the costs of the disruption.

Most end of year school parties incure a charge to the child/parent and £10 isn't overly expensive, however for unnessasary travel it is.

I say bouycot it and have a smaller on mor localy.

[emmie]

if people are swayed by the so called glamour of these people fine, but i don't think the parents were aware that a charge for transport would be levied when the Blairs offered up their buckinghamshire home for this do.

[andy-hughes]

I think it adds insult to injury that the Blairs appear to ask people they don't know to confirm straightened ecconomic circumstances in order to avoid paying for the privelidge of their child attending a party at Blair Mansions.

Why they cannot simply absord the transport costs, which are caused by security arrangements and no fault of the parents involved, is beyond me.

I think it is bad manners to invite people to a celebration, and then ask them to pay for transport - either pick up the tab as the hosts, or make alternative arranagements.

The fact that the hosts are worth eight figures simply makes their approach vulgar and mean.

[redvanman]

That is all the blair's think of making lots of money out of the poor and legal AID

[emmie]

andy-hughes just what i thought, vulgar and mean, i organised a party for my ** birthday and didn't ask people to chip in, and im certainly not worth millions.

[andy-hughes]

We organised a restaurant lunch for my Father-In-Law's 85th birthday yesterday, for a party of sixteen, and we would no more think of asking for payment towards the cost than fly!

If you have a nine-figure bank balance and you can't supply a bus for your son's friends, then don't have a party for him!