Friday, May 08, 2009

How Dirty Was Gordon's Flat?

When I lived in London, I lived in a two bedroom flat on the Canine Islands (Isle of Dogs for the uninitiated). I didn't have a cleaner. Believe it or not I used to clean the flat myself. Shock horror. It wasn't a large flat, but it wasn't easy to keep clean as it had white walls and a light carpet. I reckon I spent an hour a week cleaning it. So my question is this.

How on earth did Gordon Brown manage to spend £240 a month on a cleaner? Even if he/she was there for two hours a week it's a pretty incredible hourly rate. Or was it just a very dirty flat?

I suspect the tabloids have already started the search for the cleaner...

I have only got to page three of the Telegraph, so I'll have further comments when I have read the lot.

68 comments:

Mrs Mop said...

Well, I run a cleaning business and the only way I could justify charging that sort of money would be if Gordon defecated on the carpet every morning.

Stepney said...

I am self employed and work from home. I have messy children and a woefully mucky dog. My cleaner (when I had one), charged £88 a month - for a 4 bed house mind you.

My accountant told me that HMRC would challenge that amount of money being spent on a cleaner.

So. How the hell do you spend £240 a month cleaning a flat?

Bear in mind though that we are talking about Prudence Brown who has absolutely no concept of the value of money and sees it only as a plaything to throw around willy-nilly.

Either that or Mrs Char took him to the cleaners.

Bird said...

The Telegraph story stinks. The idea is to pre-empt the full publication of expenses later.
Watch out for a trickle of Tory expense stories leading up to the June elections.
The paper's not known as the Labourgraph for nothing.

Damon From Birmingham said...

In Brown's defence it takes a long time to pick up the remains of broken Nokias.

Damon From Birmingham said...

In Brown's defence it probably took a long time for the cleaner to collect the debris caused by thrown Nokias!

Oldrightie said...

Ask the cleaner.

thermalsatsuma said...

What sticks in my craw is the defence that "it was all within the rules". It may well have been, but did it not occur to any of them just how sleazy it would look?

Shinsei said...

Brown has been living in Downing St for the last decade.

How can he claim for a cleaner in a flat he doesn't actually live in ?

mark said...

I think that is the point. It is not the question of whether the money was spent on cleaning, but rather, why so much?

And why not, like the common man, do the cleaning within the family? Or at least get the best value for the taxpayers money...how much cleaning is necessary?

All this expenses smearing is exposing the arrogance and hypocrisy of our left wing 'in touch with the common man' comrades. The irony being, that they are just like their tory adversaries, out to make as much money as possible, whilst the majority of the population struggle and have to justify every penny claimed in expenses through a job.

Parliament has been corrupt for too long. Perhaps this decade will be remembered for making our public servants accountable, and forcibly removing their inbuilt arrogance and expectation.

Of course not all MP's are gravy training, but the facility to do so is there, and that must be removed for respect to be rebuilt (or even built), if that is at all possible.

Guthrum said...

Believe it or not I used to clean the flat myself.

Be Fair

You would not have had time to clean, if you were destroying the currency, economy and savings of this country would you

Anonymous said...

30 pounds a week is the going rate for cleaning a house in London. This seems to be well in excess of that, for a smaller property.

Rebel Saint said...

As a bona-fida, signed-up-to-the petition Gordon hater, I've got to say that this doesn't seem that unreasonable at all to me.

I predict a glut of stories along the lines of ... "Well I manage to feed a family of 6 for just £45pw by shopping at netto so how do they justify XYZ" or "well I manage to keep my house clean myself and it only takes me 30 mins and I've got 4 kids a doublely incontinent dog and I'm a junior doctor" type stories.

Lets focus on the real abuses ... the house swaps ... the tudor beams ...

Swiss Bob said...

I'm surprised he didn't shack up with James Purnell. One of my most searched for posts on Google? The two of them make a right pair, living in filth AND claiming for cleaning services which don't seem to exist. They should all be on a wanted poster

Anonymous said...

Thank you Iain! My question entirely. Looks like GB had the most expensive cleaner in London, or he was hiving the money off to his brother. You don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to see through this load of crap.
The MSM have given them all a VERY easy ride. I almost puked into my cereal when I heard sycophantic Nick Robinson sticking up for them all, and whimpering Evan Davis, barely articulate enough to get the bloody questions out. When are these people going to get some balls and turn the screws?
Meanwhile, the silence of the opposition has been all too conspicuous.

Tim Johnson said...

£3,000 a year is a lot - particularly as this was for our leader's second home.

Perhaps it is just that Gordon's habits in his personal life are akin to his management of our economy?

Gordon creates a hell of a mess and it costs a lot to clear it up ....

Constantly Furious said...

Report him to the Dept. of Work and Pensions for Benefit Fraud. Here's how to do it: they have an online form for reporting claims cheats. Fill in forms for Jacqui Smith and Baroness Uddin while you're there. We should all do it

Norman said...

Apparently the cleaners had to come in every day - Cyclops kept chucking his pizza and spaghetti at the walls.

Squiffy said...

If I was a cleaner, I'd ask for more money to clear up all the broken Nokias, Laptops, Printers and Staplers. Also I'd ask for more to provide counselling to the assistants crying in a huddle in the kitchen.

Plato said...

I can't believe anyone other than James Purnell could have a flat so dirty that it would take £240 a month to clean it.

Demetrius said...

He likes to have home grown haggis.

Brian said...

Perhaps the Dear Leader awarded the cleaning contract to a firm of consultant cleaners who incurred extra costs providing bespoke cleaning equipment.

golden_balls said...

the problem with the conservatives will be alot of them are already rich from second/third jobs or they married/inherited into money. It will be interesting to see gideons cameron clarkes and hagues expense claims.
why should we be paying for a millionaires expenses ?

And i agree the oppositions silence on this subject is interesting.

Anonymous said...

I must be incredibly thick and missing the obvious.

Surely Gordon was living with his wife in 11 downing street during this period and everything laid on by the taxpayer, where does a london crash pad flat with his bruv come into this?

Anonymous said...

The next time HMRC or the IR try and preach their legislative crap - I'll be slapping them with today's Telegraph.

I hope they get so much grief over this, lose sleep, get stressed, suffer, fall sick and depressed and then they might, just might start to see how we feel as a result of how they treated us with their unjust double standard policies. Good!

PIENOMICS said...

I have just read the BBC site.

The government are claiming the reports are politically motivated!

What total hypocrisy coming from a wretched shower of people who have spent the last 12 years lying, spinning and smearing.

Furthermore, where is the wrong in reporting "fact"?

Jack Straw claims that accountancy is not his strongpoint. Could someone please tell me what his "strongpoint" is? Certainly not standing up to Blair when we went to war on a tissue of lies!

Straw also says he "guessed" the amounts to claim on his council tax. If any of us just "guessed" the figures for any of our fiscal obligations we'd be in deep trouble.

This is symptomatic of Labour. Their whole project has been based on "guesswork". "Guesswork" for the weapons of mass destruction. And 12 years of "guesswork" for the national accounts.

And please don't get me going on the"second/ primary residence waltz" which ministers and MP's execute to perfection allowing tax payer supported
gains to be trousered.

To listen to Harriet Harman saying that all the expenses were valid under the "system" really is taking the piss. These people demand our respect
with one hand and rip us off with the other.

Where is the moral compass in all of this?

Bond Villain said...

I don't know how Gordon Brown can spend that much on cleaning. If it was Mark Oaten I could understand it.

Savonarola said...

You are all missing the point.

Brown is commiting a little fraudulent conversion.

Exp under £250 does not require a receipt. He charged £240pm neatly below limit.

Used Andrew as laundromat.

There was no cleaner.

Trust Brown to be rumbled by petty theft. Blair wouldn't bother with small change.

Anonymous said...

Who goes? You decide!

http://is.gd/xHD5

Triffid said...

Actually it's more. Gordon is saying he only used our money to pay half the bill (his brother paid the other half.)

More to point though - why did he need to stay at his Brothers flat when he (and family) had that small house in Downing street (again paid for by us) ?

Chris Paul said...

You spend £240 a month cleaning a flat by having a "daily" as char-people used to be known. The once over, once a day M-F, deep clean in one area daily, light dust throughout daily, one hour (the minimum) Tu-Th, two hours on Mondays and Fridays. Seven hours a week at about £8 an hour. That's how.

davefromluton said...

Here in Luton a cleaner is about £6 an hour - paid in cash of course. Might be a bit less for a Pole or Romanian!!
Cleaning a small flat would take 2 hours so about £50 a month.
Would be interesting to know if Gordon or his brother paid in cash!

Eddie 180 said...

A serious question on this.

Gordon Browns spokespeople have said it was better for the cleaners National Insurance to be paid by one person.

This begs the question as to how it was better for the cleaner?

Lower NI payments (unlikely)
Better NI benefits (possibly)

Either way it is gaming the system to have payments channelled through a conduit.

For the arrangement to be agreed by the then Chancellor, somebody who had it in their power to amend the system and iron out inconsistencies and unfairness if he was aware of it is not, in my opinion, the way a Chancellor should be conducting their private finances.

Why was he prepared to make a special arrangement that would benefit his employee (the cleaner), whilst not extending the same opportunity through amending the system, to benefit all that might have been similarly affected?

Anonymous said...

PIENOMICS

One other observation.

They're lying.

Again.

Cynic said...

Why pay it through his brother?

But why are we surprised when our Masters have servants? Did I hear someone shout "Up the workers?" Literally?

Flemingcrag said...

If MPs of Government and Oppositon alike had put as much energy and due diligence into watching over the Nation's finances as they put into formulating their expense claims and building property portfolios this Country's Economy would be the envy of the developed world.
That this is not the case has to be down to far too many of them being preoccupied in gaining personal wealth to be to fussed about the Nation's and its Peoples' wealth disappearing down the plughole.
Whilst the Banks were ripping us all off, private pension funds dwindling faster than a fall of snow, pulic pension liabilities growing ever more unaffordable and a housing bubble growing the height of MT. Everest our MPs were to busy studying the "John Lewis list" to notice or care.
I heard some titled politician on Radio 4 this morning intoning that we must quickly get back to the position where the public showed politicians the respect they DESERVED. For his health's sake I hope he is not; "holding his breath". Respect has to be earned it is not to be taken for granted.

Cynic said...

Nice to see that Jack Straw says he cant do sums.

His Department spends around £9 bn a year. How is he fit to run it?

TheNickofTime said...

This whole story about expenses is just another ploy by the government and one particular newspaper to keep our eyes off the real issues concerning this country just now.

The expenses story is important and it needs to be sorted, but it means our attention is away from where it should be.

JohnofEnfield said...

1. Clearly the high cost of maintenance @ Gordon's flat was caused by the need to pay some one to clean up the results of him picking his nose.
2. I see Harman says we are less corrupt than other political systems.
a.Who is she comparing us with, Zimbabwe, Kenya, India, US?????
b. She is admitting that the members of the cabinet ARE corrupt!

Alan Douglas said...

CryBaby said "The next time HMRC or the IR try and preach their legislative crap - I'll be slapping them with today's Telegraph."

Quite right, after all, it is a basic tenet of the law that we are all equal under it.

Alan Douglas

Dave H said...

My God, Evan Davis was pathetic interviewing Harman this morning. He was carefully chosen, of course, there's no way they would allow Humphrys to hang her second rate brain out to dry twice.

Incidentally, when it comes to cleaning up, there is a historical precedent. To clean the House of Commons, why not divert the Thames through it?

50 Calibre said...

O/T, but worth a look. So check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU

Howard said...

my neighbour has a cleaner, he's single with a ridiculously well paid job, doesn't drive. pays £9.50 an hour around here via an agency cleaning firm, that includes cleaning his windows once a week... about 4-5 hours a week max all in.

They go through the house, open the windows, air the place out, feed the cat etc. He entertains a lot. He has the same agency though do his washing (clothes/bedding etc) and ironing which as he changes everything daily including sheets (he's a tad anal retentive) adds up to about another 5 to 6 hours per week (he has his sheets ironed and has a ridiculous washing machine and won't use a dryer) at a slightly higher rate of £10/hour. That's approx £88 -£100 a week depending on how much is done, which is a horrendous monthly figure but he works hard and is well off and makes his cleaners do the bisso and it's his dosh, he likes a spick and span house (I think they even programme up his hard disc recorder!).

Beaing this in mind (and it's a 3 bedroom house) with all due respect I can't see Brown had that done in a flat, he may have had his laundry done at the same time but without getting hysterical I would expect the figure to be far lower.

I fear, without being tar and feathered, this is considered a perk of the job at Westminster and an overhaul on these 'expenses' cannot come soon enough. A nod and a wink shrug of the shoulders 'Everybody does it' isn't really, in my humble opinion, acceptable, I may be out of wack but hey ho.

Thats News said...

http://thatsnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/brown-studies-nation-moans.html

"Brown Studies: a nation moans"

Could not make it up. Really.

Dr Evil said...

The stench of corruption, venaity and downright thievery gets worse and worse.

Anonymous said...

We mere mortals have to pay our cleaners - if we have one - out of our taxed income. Why don't MPs?

Chiggers said...

Why on earth did Hazel Nuts claim for a new bed and mattress? Perhaps she gnawed holes in the mattress to curl up in the lining?

Surely simple bedding materials and sawdust would do, as i do for my Guinea pig?

PIENOMICS said...

It seems that the payment to GB's brother covered the period 2004-2006.

Wasn't the PM living in No.11 Downing Street at that time?

If so, why should the taxpayer pay for cleaning a flat he was not living in?

Conservative Cabbie said...

I see Alistair Darling, whilst claiming for hotel bills reported that he "was between second homes".

I wonder if he was able to keep a straight face as he was writing that.

jailhouselawyer said...

Search no more for the cleaner, I managed to track her down. Dizzy Thinks has the story here

Paul Donnelley said...

I seem to recall a story in Tom Bowers's biography of Brown that his flat was always a tip - papers and books everywhere: desk, tables, floor, chairs - so what EXACTLY was the cleaner doing?

Anonymous said...

Talking of dirt, we need to look at Gordon's brother claims. Did he fraudulently submit a £6,000 claim to his company?

Mirtha Tidville said...

The chipmunk really has been taking the pi55...3 houses in ONE year, £650 for a mattress (wouldnt exactly need a big one) and £200 for bathtowels...hasnt she heard of supporting the market traders and small businesses to buy from (you know working men and women) ah no of course she`s a Socialist silly me.....

She clearly wont resign but this might give McMental an excuse to ditch her...Hope springs eternal..


Now I know she`s a detestable cow but couldnt help glancing at Caroline Flint`s piccy in the Torygraph...ooooh well foxy wasnt she...no wonder prezza got all worked up!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Were you running the country when you lived in your Isle of Dogs flat? Perhaps you had a bit more time on your hands.

Philipa said...

Ah sure it's not much at all when you consider the cost of therapy from Dolly Draper, those poor cleaning persons needed support to come to terms with Brown's dirty linen.

Freecloud said...

As an almost not interesting aside....

Canary Wharf, on the Isle of Dogs, is so named, due to trade with the Canary Islands.

The Canary Islands are so called, from the Latin "Insula Canaria", which means Isle of Dogs... (although the dogs in question were probably seals).

Ben said...

How do you spend £240 cleaning a flat? By having someone for an hour (perhaps an hour and a half?) ever morning. They probably do the laundry and ironing where required.

Why not? Personally, I don't want Gordon Brown spending any time whatsoever doing the dishes or dusting or cleaning the loo. I want him spending every available second trying to fix the economy.

Does anyone think Obama does his own cleaning?

Cynic said...

There must be a simple explanation for Gordon's cleaning bill.

Perhaps Damien and Derek came around to discuss strategy and they needed someone in to get the shit off the walls afterwards.

Cynic said...

"Were you running the country when you lived in your Isle of Dogs flat? Perhaps you had a bit more time on your hands."

But if you were running the country you would be out far more so the flat wouldn't get so dirty and need cleaning.

Anyway, do you seriously believe that as PM or Chancellor Gordon Brown ever actually slept in the Isle of Dogs?

MikeyP said...

I would have thought that it would be better for the economy if Brown did spends the day washing and cleaning rather than trying to fix the economy in his usual reverse Midas fashion. Anyway, he might need to look for a new job come next spring, so the practice might come in useful!

Sallylalala said...

I've worked out from the information in the Telegraph that when you take into account the time being spent in both brothers flats the hourly rate is £9.28 per hour. More than I earn as a PA in the NHS.

However the amount paid to his brother is higher than the overall amount paid to the cleaner so the hourly rate for the cleaning on Gordon's flat alone is £15.43 and hour.

For that price I sincerely hope they strewed the house with rose petals and rose water every day and cleaned the windows with champagne.

Anonymous said...

He was living in Downing St at the time, so how dirty was his flat?

ukipwebmaster said...

He could have got Kim and Aggie for less?

Stromboli, The Circus Strong Man said...

Good thing we don't have to shell out to clean up good old Gordie himself (i mean metaphorically of course) that would call for another round of quantitive easing!

simon said...

I pay my cleaner £40 a week at an hourly rate of £8 - she does my ironing as well for this. Among my friends this is not unusual either as an hourly rate or as a total sum. People who use agencies pay more, for obvious reasons.

Incidentally, I am not an unusually untidy or dirty person!

eagerbeaver said...

I live in a 3000 sq ft house. My cleaning bill is around £50 a week which includes ironing.

Given he doesn't even live in the place Gordon is just cheating somewhere along the line.

Adrian said...

The last cleaner we had here in our small house Brum was £40 a week, so Gord's £240 a month sounds far from unbelievable.

Anonymous said...

That Flat Browns wife took a lifetime mortgage out on was valued at £700,000. To explain what a lifetime mortgage is you usually take equity out - usually a maximum of 50% and the rest of the property reverts to the ownership of the organisation that gave the lifetime mortgage when the policy holder dies. So Sarah Brown could well have taken out in equity at the top of a housing boom £350,000 - which Gordon will have paid next to nothing on.

I should imagine when he bought it for £120,000 he charged any stamp duty to expenses or it was in a stamp duty holiday (Don't know what taxation arrangements were in place in 1992). Of course Gordon claimed the flat's Interest on the mortgage throughout that period.

So Brown was in upto his neck of Smeargate and now on Expense Sleaze - Why not two strikes and your out?

R said...

there's a huge cleaning business out there
i think perhaps those chandeliers, marbled statues, and velvet curtains need extra treatments