@@jimtaylor294 Would cost an absolute shitload though. Like Sir Humphrey said, its a gala event, and the meal itself is about six or seven courses. They could try and tone down the meal a bit, but who would want to go through the rigmarole of getting into Number 10 with all the right passes, lanyards, codewords, and paperwork just to have a bacon sarnie and a cup of PG Tips? Can't even pull the duty card, cause literally all of the ambassadors are foreign nationals, thats basically the point 😂😂😂
@noahbrown6970 Ah; but remember what Hacker himself said: "The PM doesn't invite you for a drink because he thinks you're thirsty"😉 That; and basically everything important in the series is discussed over lunch or a drink 😆
The President of the US gets a full kitchen staff, but it doesn't get paid for by taxes like the rest of the White House staff. Instead the President pays for it either out of their own pocket or their party's pocket.
That’s what happens as you get older and develop “maturity” and “experience” If I could talk to my younger self I’d spend half the time kicking his ass than actually talking
'I can blow up the world but I cannot have a scrambled egg?' think of it as a trade-off. You can blow up the world or have a scrambled egg. You can't have both.
Not allowed to leave with government property, it would be stealing. Probably just as hard to setup an interdepartmental review to allow regular transport of Cabinet paid food to a private residence as it was to have one seconded from the cabinet
People forget that Number 10 Downing Street apartment is a private residence, and unlike the adjacent civil service, there is no place or staff to cook for the Prime Minister and family.
Technically, 10 Downing Street isn't even the Prime Minister's private residence (that's Chequers Court), it's the First Lord of the Treasury's private residence. It's just that it's been more than 100 years since the Prime Minister wasn't also the First Lord of the Treasury.
protocol issues. it will cause an uneasiness to all private secretaries, press secretaries and all staff if the PM eats there. once in a blue moon it's fine but not regularly. even the cook in the cabinet mess have to upgrade their menu on the PM's liking.
@@jimtaylor294 What one counts would be those officially recognized by the UK. In the first place, those the UK doesn't recognize wouldn't have ambassadors there. In the second, having lunch with them would cause a bigger scandal than paying a cook.
@@FranklinHarris Well as the number recognized by the UN differs from that of the Olympic Committee, I felt it worth noting how many there are to choose from. The PM doesn't nessesarily publicise all his/her movements though, so meeting with unrecognized countries' ambassadors that're in the UK as a civilian isn't impossible. (perhaps unwise yes, as even meeting with them can risk recognizing-by-implication the country, but still an option)
Altho the prime minister lives in Downing Street…. There is no law saying he/she has to, he/she could if they wish live in there own house if there constituency is in London
This episode never made sense to me. Of all the PMs, including Heath, a bachelor, none ever had meals supplied at No. 10? Did Dennis make jam butties for Maggie T. ? Yes, I know it’s a comedy, but still. And why is there never any mention of Chequers, the rural retreat that goes with the Premiership? It’s mentioned just once, in ‘Yes, Minister’, episode ‘A Question of Loyalty’, and never again. Doubtless Lynn and Jay thought it would merely complicate matters to shift the scene out of Numero Dix. But still. They went to Qumran, didn’t they? Well, then.
Hi Stephen. The apartment at No.10 and No.11 Downing Street are private residences, and are not subjected to have their catering provided free by the civil service. So all prime ministers have to pay for their own food and drink arrangements in the apartment, whether they are married or not. Edward Heath paid for a housekeeper to cook his meals when he resided there from 1970-1974.
The country residence of Chequers is a different system. It is a "grace and favour" residence, and so all of the food and drink bills of the Prime Minister there are funded from taxpayer resources.
@@johnking5174 Given PMs Can have private earnings such additional housekeeper etc sort of makes sense. One could argue it is still difficult to afford to live on a PM salary alone and perhaps such things should be provided but the cost deducted from additional private earnings arising from being PM.
@@highpath4776 Some MPs argue that since the royal family get to live and be served rent free with staff costs covered by the state, why not the Prime Minister?
This is quite timely, while we have a breakfast gate with our current prime minister in Finland (2021). She has put staff to buy her cold lunches and breakfast while staying at prime minister's official residence. This is a benefit that is taxable according Finnish law, but she either didn't know about it, or didn't care. Worst thing is that she tried to hide the evidence based on privacy laws, that her breakfast is not official matter. Also she has been called about double standards. Before she was a prime minister she proudly claimed that Finland is a place where even the president cleans his drive yard (2020), but now she thinks that it is unreasonable that she should go to grocery store by her self in the midst of more important prime ministerial work (2021). Also she has been mocked about her strictness to tax evasion especially of wealthy and entrepreneurs, but no she has been taken unlawful benefit her self. Have to admit that I'm not huge fan on Mrs. Marin, but this breakfastgate is not going to bring her down. Sums are about 14.000 euros for 14 to 15 months. Taxes of that is something like 6000-7000 euros with her salary. She should have kept her cool, apologize, correct her taxes and move on. However, she and her party seems to take this as personal hunt by the press. Well humility is a difficult art, when you are a prime minister. I think that this demonstrates quite well why Finland is one of the least corrupt nation in the world.
As much as I like the idea of uncorrupted politicians, wouldn’t it be a wast of government resources to make the PM go do chores like buying breakfasts ? You want her to spend time dealing with real affairs and not the lunch sandwich Just give her whatever the government canteen is offering to everyone else so she can save the time lining up for a coffee.
I like the idea of the P.M. having an official luncheon with a dignitary every day. Then get a mini-fridge to save a little for dinner and breakfast.
It's ironically quite a good idea. Diplomacy and sustainance at the same time.
@@jimtaylor294 Would cost an absolute shitload though. Like Sir Humphrey said, its a gala event, and the meal itself is about six or seven courses.
They could try and tone down the meal a bit, but who would want to go through the rigmarole of getting into Number 10 with all the right passes, lanyards, codewords, and paperwork just to have a bacon sarnie and a cup of PG Tips?
Can't even pull the duty card, cause literally all of the ambassadors are foreign nationals, thats basically the point 😂😂😂
@noahbrown6970 Ah; but remember what Hacker himself said: "The PM doesn't invite you for a drink because he thinks you're thirsty"😉
That; and basically everything important in the series is discussed over lunch or a drink 😆
The President of the US gets a full kitchen staff, but it doesn't get paid for by taxes like the rest of the White House staff.
Instead the President pays for it either out of their own pocket or their party's pocket.
@@jimtaylor294 _"Well, they always say that one Prime Minister's lunch with an ambassador destroys two years of patient diplomacy."_
Loved Sir Humphry's definition of freedom information - tell them everything the press easily may find out themselves! 🤣
It's even funnier because Hacker was the only supporter of Open Government on his party when he was Minister
That’s what happens as you get older and develop “maturity” and “experience”
If I could talk to my younger self I’d spend half the time kicking his ass than actually talking
He does point out that everyone else who works in the building gets their dinner prepared for them.
@@Shadowdoc26 Being two years older do you now want to kick the ass of the you who made this comment?
'I can blow up the world but I cannot have a scrambled egg?' think of it as a trade-off. You can blow up the world or have a scrambled egg. You can't have both.
I love Bernard's reply at 0:36 "are you dieting?" - Bernard always knew the right flippant reply to the prime minister
It's 2020... I wonder if the Soviets developed that multi-layered ballistic missile defence system that can intercept Polaris yet?
Any day now!
S-300 and S-400. Timing was actually quite accurate
@@vikramkrishnan6414 + Apart from it cannot. S-500 maybe.
They had one since 1980s - AS-135 and just recently tested PRS-1M (53T6M) / AS-235.
couldn't get it to work, but it kept many civil servants busy with tons of paperwork
"Where the other half" Eddington nailed that.
This is the start of Jim getting his own back on Sir Humphrey
Stuff the affairs of the country, I want a cook
😂
Why can't the Cabinet Mess just bring him a tray of lunch? Has that also been not allowed for two and a half centuries?
I don't think they could spare the staff.
But now that you mention it, Hacker could just have sent Bernard to bring a tray.
Not allowed to leave with government property, it would be stealing. Probably just as hard to setup an interdepartmental review to allow regular transport of Cabinet paid food to a private residence as it was to have one seconded from the cabinet
Hacker wasn't a civil servant
In my country The PM had his food airlifted to him from his favourite restaurant using public money....!
Bangladesh
@@tasibsharar5594 hahaha it seems the poorer the nation the more well off the PM and his gang is.
These days £27k worth of takeaways seem just as easy to come by.
People forget that Number 10 Downing Street apartment is a private residence, and unlike the adjacent civil service, there is no place or staff to cook for the Prime Minister and family.
The President of the United States must also pay for food.
Technically, 10 Downing Street isn't even the Prime Minister's private residence (that's Chequers Court), it's the First Lord of the Treasury's private residence. It's just that it's been more than 100 years since the Prime Minister wasn't also the First Lord of the Treasury.
I think the Prime Minister is actually living in number 11 and the chancelor is leaving in 10 since at least a decade
What, Number 10 doesn't have a kitchen?
@@AudieHolland A very small kitchen in the apartment
but to be honest i find it quite surpirsing the uk prime minister having acess to nuclear weapons but not having acess to a housekeeper.
Historically PMs were very wealthy men and it was the custom to expect them to have servants.
Historically? The current one has 800 million.
Nothing stopping him from having one, just that he has to pay for it himself instead of it being a government expense.
@@chriswatson7965 Same with MPs, historically they weren't paid and this is why they aren't allowed to quit.
Why can’t he just eat in the cabinet mess?
protocol issues.
it will cause an uneasiness to all private secretaries, press secretaries and all staff if the PM eats there. once in a blue moon it's fine but not regularly. even the cook in the cabinet mess have to upgrade their menu on the PM's liking.
Rahman Sallehin
In some big companies the boss eats at the normal canteen 😁
anshuman jha
So what?
Here in India, the PM eating at the Parliamentary canteen was a news item
The same reason the UK PM is rarely seen in the House of Commons cafeteria.
There is 193 countries in the UN now
...and over 210 countries in the world (depending what one counts as one).
@@jimtaylor294 nice, then it is not far from filling the annual lunch menu of the PM.
@@jimtaylor294 What one counts would be those officially recognized by the UK. In the first place, those the UK doesn't recognize wouldn't have ambassadors there. In the second, having lunch with them would cause a bigger scandal than paying a cook.
@@FranklinHarris Well as the number recognized by the UN differs from that of the Olympic Committee, I felt it worth noting how many there are to choose from.
The PM doesn't nessesarily publicise all his/her movements though, so meeting with unrecognized countries' ambassadors that're in the UK as a civilian isn't impossible.
(perhaps unwise yes, as even meeting with them can risk recognizing-by-implication the country, but still an option)
WOW .... no words for the honest and corruption free society
"WHERE IS THE Other Half "
The Prime Minister has an aura of darkness about him. A Sith i smell.
Why can’t he have lunch with Bernard?
He is not a civil servant. The civil servants mess was for civil servants only
Wheres the other half 😂
Altho the prime minister lives in Downing Street…. There is no law saying he/she has to, he/she could if they wish live in there own house if there constituency is in London
It's all about who would pay for it. Prime Ministers don't want to pay for them out of their own pocket.
Would be better if it was job related accomodation, like a pub landlord
This episode never made sense to me.
Of all the PMs, including Heath, a bachelor, none ever had meals supplied at No. 10?
Did Dennis make jam butties for Maggie T. ?
Yes, I know it’s a comedy, but still. And why is there never any mention of Chequers, the rural retreat that goes with the Premiership?
It’s mentioned just once, in ‘Yes, Minister’, episode ‘A Question of Loyalty’, and never again.
Doubtless Lynn and Jay thought it would merely complicate matters to shift the scene out of Numero Dix.
But still. They went to Qumran, didn’t they? Well, then.
Hi Stephen. The apartment at No.10 and No.11 Downing Street are private residences, and are not subjected to have their catering provided free by the civil service. So all prime ministers have to pay for their own food and drink arrangements in the apartment, whether they are married or not. Edward Heath paid for a housekeeper to cook his meals when he resided there from 1970-1974.
The country residence of Chequers is a different system. It is a "grace and favour" residence, and so all of the food and drink bills of the Prime Minister there are funded from taxpayer resources.
For Thatcher it’s the other way around. She reportedly cooked for herself and her family like a traditional housewife.
@@johnking5174 Given PMs Can have private earnings such additional housekeeper etc sort of makes sense. One could argue it is still difficult to afford to live on a PM salary alone and perhaps such things should be provided but the cost deducted from additional private earnings arising from being PM.
@@highpath4776 Some MPs argue that since the royal family get to live and be served rent free with staff costs covered by the state, why not the Prime Minister?
This is quite timely, while we have a breakfast gate with our current prime minister in Finland (2021).
She has put staff to buy her cold lunches and breakfast while staying at prime minister's official residence. This is a benefit that is taxable according Finnish law, but she either didn't know about it, or didn't care. Worst thing is that she tried to hide the evidence based on privacy laws, that her breakfast is not official matter. Also she has been called about double standards. Before she was a prime minister she proudly claimed that Finland is a place where even the president cleans his drive yard (2020), but now she thinks that it is unreasonable that she should go to grocery store by her self in the midst of more important prime ministerial work (2021). Also she has been mocked about her strictness to tax evasion especially of wealthy and entrepreneurs, but no she has been taken unlawful benefit her self.
Have to admit that I'm not huge fan on Mrs. Marin, but this breakfastgate is not going to bring her down. Sums are about 14.000 euros for 14 to 15 months. Taxes of that is something like 6000-7000 euros with her salary. She should have kept her cool, apologize, correct her taxes and move on. However, she and her party seems to take this as personal hunt by the press. Well humility is a difficult art, when you are a prime minister.
I think that this demonstrates quite well why Finland is one of the least corrupt nation in the world.
As much as I like the idea of uncorrupted politicians, wouldn’t it be a wast of government resources to make the PM go do chores like buying breakfasts ? You want her to spend time dealing with real affairs and not the lunch sandwich
Just give her whatever the government canteen is offering to everyone else so she can save the time lining up for a coffee.
Shouldn't that be the wurst thing?
Stuff the affairs of the nation
😂🤣😂
To be fair, making important decisions on an empty stomach would likely lead to very bad policy
Haha 😂😂
Make pack lunch
Late stage decadence