Is Prince Andrew a freeloading t*sser or is it just me?
Discussion
Britain's Prince Andrew has been slammed spent more time abroad since stepping down from his trade envoy role than he did as holder of the post.
The Duke of York - who gave up his role as Special Representative for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in July to focus on matters closer to home - has been urged to "drastically cut back" after it emerged he has spent 28 days abroad, visiting Saudi Arabia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, covering more than 40,800 miles, in the time since leaving the post.
In the same period last year he spent 22 nights abroad, flying about 29,500 miles, meaning his total travel expenses this year could exceed the £358,763 bill he clocked up in 2010-11.
Andrew's trips this year - which are funded by tax payers - included spending £40,000 to charter a private jet to fly from Farnborough, Hampshire, England, to Saudi Arabia in September.
John O'Connell, the research director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Taxpayers will wonder why they are paying even more for Prince Andrew's jet-set lifestyle now that he has quit as trade commissioner.
"Many wondered whether the prince was providing value for money before he quit, it's shocking that he's costing even more now despite not having a formal role in representing the country on trade issues.
"It's time the prince drastically cut back on his foreign jaunts at taxpayers' expense."
UKTI insist Andrew always intended to continue to promote British business overseas even after leaving his role.
Their spokesperson said: "When the duke stood down as Special Representative for Trade and Investment it was always the intention that he would continue to work with the government to promote British trade and investment overseas, and the recent trips are evidence of that."
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said the trips had been arranged before Andrew decided to step down.
Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20111126/p...
The Duke of York - who gave up his role as Special Representative for UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) in July to focus on matters closer to home - has been urged to "drastically cut back" after it emerged he has spent 28 days abroad, visiting Saudi Arabia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, covering more than 40,800 miles, in the time since leaving the post.
In the same period last year he spent 22 nights abroad, flying about 29,500 miles, meaning his total travel expenses this year could exceed the £358,763 bill he clocked up in 2010-11.
Andrew's trips this year - which are funded by tax payers - included spending £40,000 to charter a private jet to fly from Farnborough, Hampshire, England, to Saudi Arabia in September.
John O'Connell, the research director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Taxpayers will wonder why they are paying even more for Prince Andrew's jet-set lifestyle now that he has quit as trade commissioner.
"Many wondered whether the prince was providing value for money before he quit, it's shocking that he's costing even more now despite not having a formal role in representing the country on trade issues.
"It's time the prince drastically cut back on his foreign jaunts at taxpayers' expense."
UKTI insist Andrew always intended to continue to promote British business overseas even after leaving his role.
Their spokesperson said: "When the duke stood down as Special Representative for Trade and Investment it was always the intention that he would continue to work with the government to promote British trade and investment overseas, and the recent trips are evidence of that."
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said the trips had been arranged before Andrew decided to step down.
Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20111126/p...
Mobile Chicane said:
To keep Fergie in pies must be costing him some...
He's not working hard enough then; she still has time between bites to spout banal self-pitying crap to credulous yanks/tabloid hacks/anyone who'll listen. What possessed him? He could have walked Koo f
king Stark up the aisle, and he married a ginger hippacrocowhale with verbal dysentery then compounded the error by siring 2 heifers with no dress sense. The mess webley beckons.hidetheelephants said:
He's not working hard enough then; she still has time between bites to spout banal self-pitying crap to credulous yanks/tabloid hacks/anyone who'll listen. What possessed him? He could have walked Koo fking Stark up the aisle, and he married a ginger hippacrocowhale with verbal dysentery then compounded the error by siring 2 heifers with no dress sense. The mess webley beckons.
Have a king Stark up the aisle, and he married a ginger hippacrocowhale with verbal dysentery then compounded the error by siring 2 heifers with no dress sense. The mess webley beckons.
love it!The irony being that allegedly the palace put pressure on Andrew not to continue his relationship with Koo Stark as she wasn't of the "correct breeding" and would potentially embarrass the royal family.
Whereas in actual fact she has never uttered a word about her time with Andrew despite rumours she has been offered a lot of money to do so. Contrast this with Fergie who has been an embarrassment ever since
Whereas in actual fact she has never uttered a word about her time with Andrew despite rumours she has been offered a lot of money to do so. Contrast this with Fergie who has been an embarrassment ever since
Bill said:
OTOH he's meant to be furthering British business interests and how do you think the Saudi royals would look on one of our's if he turned up on a scheduled flight?
My initial thought was "Freeloading idiot" but I can see what you mean.Having said that, "glorified salesman" isn't a title I would have thought he'd be proud of.
It always amuses me immensely the way Brits see members of the royal family. Either,
- Popular royalty (generally female and either attracive or elderly) - pure gold; how dare you criticise in any way; of course it makes sense to have a hereditary monarch at the head of an elected democracy!
- Less popular royalty (generally male) - a stupid, irrelevant and unelected cost on the taxpayer!
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