Benyon's scrubland activities, Sailing close to wind? Options

[gel]

Using Civil Servants for public good near Estate

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-20...try-estate.html

[Andy1]

He paid for lunch out of his own pocket. Very nice of him.

[Andy Capp]

I wonder where readers of this forum get their volunteer labour to clear scrub from their estate? I wait until it gets cold then the homeless will work harder I find. In seriousness, this seems like a bit of mischief making to me. "Civil servants working for a Government Minister abandoned their official duties to help volunteers clear scrubland close to his 20,000-acre country estate."

[Cognosco]

I wonder where readers of this forum get their volunteer labour to clear scrub from their estate? I wait until it gets cold then then the homeless will work harder I find. In seriousness, this seems like a bit of mischief making to me. "Civil servants working for a Government Minister abandoned their official duties to help volunteers clear scrubland close to his 20,000-acre country estate."

Look after the pennies Andy? Why pay for it if someone is volunteering to do it for free? As long as no civil servants were harmed in the making of this report.

I suspect the civil servants were getting in practice for cutting out the dead wood at the ministry.

[Richard Garvie]

He was getting some flack in the cockles reports on Sky News this morning from fisherman and the journo's, not a great day for him really.

[Cognosco]

He was getting some flack in the cockles reports on Sky News this morning from fisherman and the journo's, not a great day for him really.

So him and WBC are both recieving bad days? Still a wall of silence from Market Street?

[Jayjay]

It was staff being paid out of public money to clear brush from a public common. Richard Benyon did not gain or profit from this in any way. If we have to have team building days, not convinced they are effective, then I would rather they do this than go carting or paint balling.

[user23]

It was staff being paid out of public money to clear brush from a public common. Richard Benyon did not gain or profit from this in any way. If we have to have team building days, not convinced they are effective, then I would rather they do this than go carting or paint balling.

As you say Ashampstead Common is, as its name suggests, common land.

It seem to me that this team building day also helped the public, so it's a win for the taxpayer on two counts. Not only (one would hope) producing a more efficient team but also a better environment for the people of the area.

[NWNREADER]

As I understand the story our MP knew of some public open space that was to be 'improved' by volunteers and some of his Civil Servants agreed to join the team. As it was in his constituency it seems to me, in the absence of better information, he has done a good deed.
Had the work been on or for the benefit of his Estate he would be in the cack, but I can't se a problem here.
Have I missed a point?

[Cognosco]

As I understand the story our MP knew of some public open space that was to be 'improved' by volunteers and some of his Civil Servants agreed to join the team. As it was in his constituency it seems to me, in the absence of better information, he has done a good deed.
Had the work been on or for the benefit of his Estate he would be in the cack, but I can't se a problem here.
Have I missed a point?

No you haven't missed the point. You are quite correct it's just that it is a slow news day as they say. I think we are waiting for a scandal to come along but can't imagine why?

[Andy Capp]

As I understand the story our MP knew of some public open space that was to be 'improved' by volunteers and some of his Civil Servants agreed to join the team. As it was in his constituency it seems to me, in the absence of better information, he has done a good deed.
Had the work been on or for the benefit of his Estate he would be in the cack, but I can't se a problem here.
Have I missed a point?

No, you are dead right, it is a non story.

[gel]

But begs the question as to whether he was abusing his position?

Did the Civil Servants feel they could say no to the request if they wanted promotion/ to stay in his good books.

Technically he's not their line manager, but if you work in his Department, I'm sure
he effectively sees them as employees of one sort of another.

[NWNREADER]

But begs the question as to whether he was abusing his position?

Did the Civil Servants feel they could say no to the request if they wanted promotion/ to stay in his good books.

Technically he's not their line manager, but if you work in his Department, I'm sure
he effectively sees them as employees of one sort of another.

99.9% of Civil Servants are so remote from the Minister and his entourage the issue almost never arrises as proposed.

Straws and clutch comes to mind.