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First Minister's £10,000 dinner bill



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Published Date: 02 October 2008
ALEX Salmond spent nearly £10,000 on formal dinners in the first half of this year, hiring some of his favourite caterers in the process, it emerged yesterday.
A parliamentary reply showed that the First Minister held six dinners at Bute House, his official residence, between 1 January and 1 July.

Centotre restaurant in Edinburgh, which Mr Salmond has been known to frequent in the past, catered once, at a cost of £1,603. Lady Claire Macdonald did the catering for a dinner following the Royal Garden Party for £3,272, and Valvona and Crolla, the Italian specialists, charged £2,010 for a dinner for US congressional representatives.





The full article contains 114 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 01 October 2008 10:20 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Scottish National Party
 
1

spud the enforcer,

02/10/2008 00:03:55
nice to know we have another greedy parasite as first meenister, as always money for this idiot to have his jollies and a feed, but none to help out families the eldery or in fact anyone struggling with high utility/council tax bills, weaners like him should be ashamed for the pathetic waste of our tax money, alex salmond is a neo nunzi parasishite,
2

ochone,

Sauchie, Clack's 02/10/2008 00:31:53
Scotsman, here's a novel idea, why not give us all the facts regarding this story, if in fact it is one.

How many people at each one? Who was on the guest lists etc, get the idea?
3

Edward,

02/10/2008 00:35:59
Another non story from the non journalist in a non paper
Good job I dont buy this tat
4

famous 15,

Edinburgh 02/10/2008 00:42:56
Cheap shot at cheap meals He is First Minister and all these hundreds of VIP visitors can hardly get a Chinese carry oot,nice though that may be and more likely more expensive! . Is this the "SUn"???
5

ThomasP,

02/10/2008 00:49:59
Churchill used to eat lavish meals with expensive alcohol during WW2, I am sure Salmond can spend as muhc cash as he likes on private meals.
6

Col. Blimp­IV*,

02/10/2008 00:53:28
The extravagance of it all £1,600 a pop...check this out.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xNep8Uuc_tw
7

subrosa,

02/10/2008 02:02:43
Would be a lot more helpful if you could do a comparison with the monies wee Jock spent on meals at Bute House Scotsman. As it stands it's poor journalism.
8

Guga II,

Rockall 02/10/2008 03:06:04
Another pathetic attempt by the Hootsmon to vilify wee Eck.

Tell us Mr. Hootsmon Editor, how much does your beloved Maggie Broon spend on formal dinners? How much did Tory Bliar spend on formal dinners? Also, how much did wee Joke McConnel, and his predecessors, spend on formal dinners?

9

S'me,

Edinburgh 02/10/2008 04:08:50
Its funny how so many of the comments above rush to defend wee alex.. quite cute really how they can't tolerate any perceived critiscism..
10

Finnzz,

Offshore 02/10/2008 06:25:08
Is this headline supposed to actually mean something.

Does it demonstrate that Salmond is carrying out his official duties by providing hospitality to a variety of guests as his remit demands.

Or is it just a vindictive article designed purely to portray the First Minister as a greedy trencherman milking the public purse for all he can stuff in his gob.

Journalism at its poorest this. Just a meaningless banner designed to cause mischief.
11

Ubi,

Edinburgh 02/10/2008 06:33:42
In the interests of balanced reporting surely this piece should also have carried the dining costs incurred by the previous First Minister?

In the absence of which this looks very much like naked political bias.
12

Finnzz,

02/10/2008 06:35:29
The headline

'First Minister's £1603 dinner bill for twenty leading CEOs from Industry'

just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it.

Its probably closer to the truth though.



13

A Better Way,

Scottish Republic 02/10/2008 07:08:58
Alex Salmond gave a meal to twenty CEO's for 1600 quid. Believe me, that is a pittance when you look at the money Gordon Brown and Tony Blair spent on entertaining visitors. Try 12 million Pounds. Aye that right Numpties 12 Million Pounds. Now hud yer weish, and get back in the cage.
14

steve 1511,

aberdeen 02/10/2008 07:57:22
the restraint in the amount of money spent on entertainment by mr salmon has to be applauded,
15

Scotland to prosper...,

02/10/2008 08:04:35
This is a yet another sickening example of the bias journalism rife within the Scottish media.

- No comparison to previous First Ministers bills.
- No apparent reason detailed to indicate why this story made it to the papers.
- No actual detail in the number of attendee's at each dinner.

You wonder why Scotland is sometimes not taken seriously down south. It's reporting like this that give them plenty of reason.

16

GM,

02/10/2008 08:17:28
Is there a by-election coming???
---------------------------------


Give it two weeks and it will be -
"Salmond ate my hamster"
17

Mr. Lachie Todd,

Edinburgh 02/10/2008 08:23:40
Log on to the United Kingdom Parliament/Commmons Account Committee which provides full details of the £MILLIONS spent by government ministers and civil servants under the heading: "Hospitality and Entertainment".

Not only does this include Nos. 10 and 11 Downing Street, but also the official government residences at Chequers, Cheveney and Dorneywood.

The lavish entertainments costs 'expended' by the UK Government make the Scottish Government outlay on formal dinners look like Alex Salmond popping out for a carryout curry!
18

Marian,

02/10/2008 08:28:47
By now it is patently obvious that New Labour and its friends of the media class have obviously decided to attack Alex Salmond at every opportunity with innuendos, guilt by association, and whatever else their tiny mendacious minds can muster. This is the kind of activity one would expect from a right wing dictatorship and its media class followers, and not one that should be found in a so-called 21st century democracy with alleged freedom of speech where honesty and truthfullness should be paramount. New Labour have clearly borrowed their so-called Big Lie technique of mass propaganda from Joseph Goebbels who infamously said “It is not propaganda’s task to be intelligent, its task is to lead to success". To quote further from Josef Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda chief:- “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
 
19

Jacqueline Hyde ,

On the shelf 02/10/2008 09:00:20
That's a lot of smoked salmond.
20

Boy Wonder,

02/10/2008 09:02:01
A non-story.

If they're trying to do Eck down, let's compare him with what other FMs spent per year on "power-lunches"!

Or doesn't that work like the editors want it to?
21

W U Merchant,

Aberdeen 02/10/2008 09:16:34
This is an absolute disgrace. No wonder Alex has become Fat Alex.
22

Jacqueline Hyde ,

On the shelf 02/10/2008 09:22:52
#21
Come on, what about the BW Banquet Menu for Fat Cats?
23

long live the supermarkets,

every little hurts 02/10/2008 09:36:05
This guy will never beat John Prescott in the eating stakes, he could eat for Briton and probably did although with him being bulimic it just wasted our money!!!
24

JG,

Fife 02/10/2008 09:41:00
He would benefit greatly from eating a few more grilled chicken salads and a lot less pies!
25

Miss H,

02/10/2008 09:42:41
5 They are not private meals.
26

Farky,

Edinburgh 02/10/2008 09:45:09
Perhaps this story might be more balanced if it were to include what was spent by the Prime Minister over the same period.

If you have senior politicians or business leaders round for dinner, you can hardly expect them to be fed a pie and a cream cake from Greggs!
27

Miss H,

02/10/2008 09:45:52
9 Don't be so stupid.

I dare say an SNP MP could put in a whole series of FOI requests about who Gordon Brown invites to dinner, how much the dinner cost etc.

But they wouldn't because it's a waste of friggin time and taxpayers money.

It costs more money to ask these kinds of damn fool questions than it would to give Alex Salmond free cordon bleu dinners for the rest of his life.

28

Ananurhing,

02/10/2008 09:46:41
For goodness sake, I know of regional sales managers who spend this kind of money entertaining buyers!
Hardly a huge sum for Scotland's premier statesman to spend promoting the nations interests.
£400 a week? I spend about a third of that in the supermarket feeding my family!

No wonder there's no journo's name put to this one. Shameful anti SNP spin!
29

John S,

02/10/2008 09:52:33
Tony Blair spent nearly £2,000 of taxpayers' money on cosmetics over six years.Times Online - March 5, 2007
30

Miss H,

02/10/2008 09:53:50
30 Having spent a considerable period of time in the First Minister's company during the Glasgow East by-election I can report that Greggs is his first choice of caterers. But maybe a steak slice and a can of irn bru is not the fare to serve up to distinguished guests!
31

g33,

edinburgh 02/10/2008 10:24:39
oh salmond
32

MandyMac,

Glasgow 02/10/2008 10:36:09
Salmond, Hyslop etc can't hide the fact that their weight is increasing, obesity is rising amongst our well fed, well paid freebie loving Parliament. Shame they represent Scotland!
33

Buttress,

02/10/2008 11:05:41
He could save money by inviting them all round then stating, 'You'll have had your tea, then.'



34

MandyMac,

Glasgow 02/10/2008 11:09:20
Maybe being too hard on him, perhaps he has bullimia. I will get interested if his party begin to go missing leaving a trail of bones direct to Bute House, or on Hyslop's lap...
35

oder,

Scotland 02/10/2008 11:35:18
another non story of any relevance from the national rag! maybe you should transfer to Fleet street and learn how to report newsworthy events! just a thought, you need to up your standards some what! (if possible)
36

oder,

Scotland 02/10/2008 11:39:16
another non story of any relevance from the national rag! maybe you should transfer to Fleet street and learn how to report newsworthy events! just a thought, you need to up your standards some what! (if possible)
37

oder,

Dundee 02/10/2008 11:40:37
opps! sorry about the double post
38

,

02/10/2008 11:42:47
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
39

Thomas the Tank,

Edinburgh 02/10/2008 12:33:00
Odd that the Nu-Liebor HootsMon don't reveal that this vital contribution to the Democratic Dialogue was the sterling work of Lard George Ffoulkes-Sake, himself no stranger to a damned good dinner at public expense and drunken assaulter of old women. Clearly miffed because he was never invited.
S3W-15242 - George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab) 'To ask the Scottish Executive how many dinners and receptions have been held in Bute House by the First Minister in 2008, showing in each case (a) who the guests were, (b) what the cost was and (c) who the caterers were.'

How about another Parliamentary Question to reveal the cost of researching and answering this kind of pointless stupidity?
40

The Federalist (the poster formerly know as NAUON),

02/10/2008 12:51:11
I don't know why people are getting so worked up about this.

The FM holds dinners - so what?

The Scotsman reports what he spends - so what?

Did they not report this when McConnell et al were FM?

The usual mountain out of a molehill whenever AS is involved - false indignation from Labour and sickening sychophancy from the Nats.
41

livilion,

livingston 02/10/2008 14:08:42
1 spud the enforcer
Aye when these folk come to Scotland they should be forced to eat fish suppers like the rest of us. Do they think we're made of money?
42

Miss H,

02/10/2008 14:31:17
36 Insult the nation's favourite snack and our other national drink why don't you?

43

livilion,

livingston 02/10/2008 15:10:56
So all you can say against the First minister is that he's overweight?
He's a professional politician and he's a Scotsman in his mid 50s, what else would he be?

btw since when were steak slices Scotland's favourite snack?



44

Miss H,

02/10/2008 16:36:18
50 I wouldn't call a Greggs steak slice junk food. I am sure it has lots of nutrients somewhere. More so than a pot noodle anyway.
45

ochone,

Sauchie, clack's 02/10/2008 17:56:19
So while we Nats attack gordon Brown for the likes of Iraq, some unionists attack Alex Salmond over what he's supposed to eat.

Says it all really, not just about both men, but those who would support the them!

46

Finnzz,

Offshore 02/10/2008 19:08:39
So whats a steak slice when its at home. Is that like a mock chop.
47

I must have annoyed somebody earlier,

02/10/2008 19:31:32
What happened to #44?
48

democracy,

Scottish Borders 07/10/2008 12:12:01
My god, it appears most of the people believe what they read in the papers and all they are doing is taking the pi** out of you while selling their *rap!!
49

Longdirk Maceth,

Warrington 07/10/2008 13:14:07
1 spud the enforcer. If it raises the profile of Scotland and helps Scotland and the Scottish people through trade then it's money well spent, don't you think? Or are you a sad little Englander that hates the idea of the Scots running their own county.
And how much money has been spent on Iraq????
I await your reply.

 

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