Lord Irvine of Lairg (The Lord Chancellor).
- Spending £650,000 of the taxpayers money (16th February 1998).
- Accused of sex discrimination (7th February 1998).
Spending
£650,000 of the taxpayers money (16th February 1998).
[top]
The Lord Chancellor is
the Lord who like to spend, spend, spend, (the taxpayers money) to refurbish his official
residence to the sum of £650,000.
A breakdown of costs showed that up to £239,000 of taxpayers' money was spent on household items for the residence. They are said to include two beds, each costing between £6,000 and £10,000, and a dining suite to seat 10 people reported to cost £25,000. Carpets, curtains and blinds and other soft furnishings are thought to total £145,000, while reproduction furniture is said to cost £94,000.
The £650,000 refit of the Lord Chancellor's residence had been approved by a House of Lords committee but attracted substantial criticism when it was disclosed last year that Lord Irvine was spending £59,000 on wallpaper.
Accused
of sex discrimination (7th February 1998). [top]
Proceedings were
lodged this week at an industrial tribunal alleging that the Lord Chancellor's
Department is operating an "old boy's network" in the appointment of senior
staff after a male lawyer and long-standing friend a £73,000-a-year Government
job as his special policy adviser. The case is being brought by Jane Coker, 43, an
immigration lawyer with a London firm who claims that she would have been a formidable
candidate for the post if it had been properly advertised.