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Boris Johnson laid on a £6,000 farewell party for the transport boss who introduced his bike-hire scheme - with Londoners picking up the bill.
The Mayor honoured David Brown, who earned £316,655 last year, with a private soiree on City Hall's top floor to mark his five years as roads boss at Transport for London.
TfL, funded by farepayers and taxpayers, will pick up the bill for the 150 guests, despite its efficiency drive to save £5billion that has led to an eight per cent rise in bus fares and the congestion charge reaching £10.
A TfL spokesman said: "The event was paid for by TfL as a mark of respect for a first-class manager who has saved London hundreds of millions of pounds."
Last month, £2,338 of public funds were used by the London Fire Authority, controlled by the Mayor, for a lunch to mark the retirement of director of resources Barbara Riddell.
Reader views (31)
David Brown is in a position to pay for his own party stick a few hundred behind a bar.This is a farepayer company that was issued with a memo from Hendy about cost cutting incentives like photo-copying etc
The Jubilee line was down everyday last week signal failures The cycle Hire scheme was late rolling out it just does not make sense to waste our money then bub our noses in it with parties for rich people
- Ken's Bike, London, 27/02/2011 07:40
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Timotei, no one is concerned that this guy had aleaving bash in his honour, but funded by public money ! is that right?
- Brian, Wiltshire, 27/02/2011 06:53
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- Timotei, London, 25/02/2011 20:58
- Impartial view, London, 26/02/2011 11:21
Wrong, both of you and you know why. These are public funds and therefore accountable, not least to the London public. That you can support this reckless expense when libraries have to close, disabled benefits are cut and a host of r avenges to our NHS are implemented astonishes me
- Grenville Mills, London, 27/02/2011 00:33
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The election can't come fast enough to get rid of this wacko.
In the mean time, farepayers and taxpayer need to be aware of the £316,655 pay cheque Johnson is authorising for the CEO of TfL. Why not post it up on all public transport hoardings so we can better understand the savings that the wacko man on a bicycle is making for Londoners.
- Grenville Mills, London, 27/02/2011 00:15
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Boris should pay the bill. Simple.
- Jacko, London, uk, 26/02/2011 23:55
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Hey - I have an idea too: let's all walk from now on. Do I get a retirement party as well?
I fear that Boris is getting more moronic by the day.
- John Markham, New York, USA, 26/02/2011 20:13
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To Timotei, the difference is that this is funded by taxpayers "TfL, funded by farepayers and taxpayers, will pick up the bill for the 150 guests" this is wrong that taxpayers pay for this at a time of big cuts to services. The government tells us that there is no money left but there seems to be money available when it suits them.
- Lydia, London, 26/02/2011 12:07
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Let's get real here everyone. A managing director leaves a company, and that said company stumps up some cash for a farewell do. This goes on everywhere!! The only difference here is that there are some political points to be scored by suggesting that something immoral has gone on. Private sector bosses must be wondering what a poor party it must have been if only £6k has been spent on it!!
- Timotei, London, 25/02/2011 20:58
Spot on Timotei. This is not news just accepted normal practice that goes on every day of the week in large organisations up and down the Country. And don't forget the cash splashed on Christms parties too.
This has been written purely to generate political outrage and to bash Boris. It would have been the same under Ken and will be the same under the next Mayor whoever that may be (please god, not Ken again)
- Impartial view, London, 26/02/2011 11:21
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Boris in a cycle helmet just proves the point that we do not need cycle helmets, if only all road users observed the Highway Code. Cycle Helmets deter some people from actualy taking to the highways and byways on their bike.
- dhan raj, basildon, 26/02/2011 10:08
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always been the case that tories have been much better at gorging on public money - this bunch shows that is still true
- john lowe, london, 26/02/2011 02:02
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Let's get real here everyone. A managing director leaves a company, and that said company stumps up some cash for a farewell do. This goes on everywhere!! The only difference here is that there are some political points to be scored by suggesting that something immoral has gone on. Private sector bosses must be wondering what a poor party it must have been if only £6k has been spent on it!!
- Timotei, London, 25/02/2011 20:58
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Did not Boris have to pay out millions to some people because Red Ken gave them amassive retirement package?
- peter grogan, ,London, 25/02/2011 19:42
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What a waste of public money I hope Boris also pays the tax bill.
- Brian Edmonds, Farnham UK, 25/02/2011 18:36
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Strange that the highest paid Councillors/GLA Assembly Members in the country Brian Coleman and Steve O'Connell at £118,000 couldn't locate their pockets to make a contribution? I bet they can when the money is paid to them.
- Guy, Croydon, 25/02/2011 18:30
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Hasn't anyone heard of petty cash?
- Kc, Kyrenia Cyprus, 25/02/2011 16:57
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A TfL spokesman said: "The event was paid for by TfL as a mark of respect for a first-class manager who has saved London hundreds of millions of pounds."
Well maybe, but that's his job for which he's apparently been paid over £300,000 a year.
Boris, if you want a party, pay for it yourself or get those attanding to chip in, they're hardly hard up. Learn to respect taxpayers on all occasions.
- Stephen C, London, 25/02/2011 16:31
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Where are Frank,Scotty and all the other Boris apologists?.
- colin, barking essex, 25/02/2011 16:25
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Where are Frank,Scotty and all the other Boris apologists?.
- colin, barking essex, 25/02/2011 16:24
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TORIES!
- Kay Burley ate my hamster, Hackney, London, 25/02/2011 16:17
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We are all in this together....just that some are more into it than most.......pig snouts in the taxpayers trough....
Time for a revolt against these bar-stewards....
- HendonGooner, Hendon, London. UK, 25/02/2011 16:12
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QUITE SIMPLY SICK AND TIRED OF ALL POLITICIANS IN ALL PARTIES, YOU WOULD THINK EGYPT WAS A WARNING TO THEM .
- ALAN, ENGLAND . That officially doe not exist., 25/02/2011 15:13
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In the old days when one did a job of work one got paid and that was that. Now it seems one has to stand around either for a party or hand out and everyone else has to foot the bill. This I'm sure won't be the first nor the last. As many people have said before , Boris should get on his bike and do us all a favour and cycle away into the sunset remembering to leave what change there is in the petty cash box to the next person who will no doubt take us for a furher ride.
- Hamilton Straker, Ealing London, 25/02/2011 15:06
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after all this fuss he'll offer to pay the 6k back and think all is forgiven. well it isn't.
- dhan raj, basildon, 25/02/2011 14:43
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Would have been better for Boris to have taken a ride around town with his team and the outgoing David Brown. This would have been the correct way to bid farewell, maybe giving free bike loans to those who wanted to join in.
Oops! That would have meant that Boris's team would have reported a loss on bike loans.
Honestly WHY should there be any send off? It's a job done and he's been paid well for this.
- Mythili, London, 25/02/2011 13:44
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I'm sorry but why is anyone getting these parties paid for by the public at all? In the real world most people have a whip round and pay for their colleague at a local restaurant/pub and that's that.
This is a joke
- Jason, London, 25/02/2011 13:08
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I thought we were all in it together, either we should have all been invited to the party or there should not have been one at all. Hypocrasy, damn hypocrasy. Boris Johnson you have gone down in my estimation, you were supposed to be better and above these things. Livingstone knew how to waste money and that's why he had to go (remember his lavish party for Chris Smith's birtday the ex Labour Arts Minister). Dont let this happen again otherwise the previous odious scumbag will get in again
- strongbow sullivan, Paris, France, 25/02/2011 13:03
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So TfL close or reduce ticket office window times on the tube in an effort to reduce costs (falsely) and both bus and tube fairs go up to subsidise the over-running debt due to lines like the Jubilee and Victoria being upgraded, yet they still manage to find £6,000 of taxpayers money to wave goodbye to an employee that has already picked up over £300,000 in wages! It really beggar's belief!
- Tony, Essex, 25/02/2011 12:41
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Never was, on your bike Boris more appropriate.One day people will see what a pratt this man is.
- Bazza, London, 25/02/2011 12:37
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It is a classic rule of thumb, the more somone earns the more expensive present/party you have to give them or they will feel insulted. Similarly if someone is on a low salary a small present is sufficient to avoid embarrassing them.
- Patrick, Dalston, 25/02/2011 12:35
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What ho, Boris - couldn't you organise a whip-round for this, or even pay for it out of your own millionaire's pocket?
Cheapskate.
- Baron von Richtofen, Biggin Hill, 25/02/2011 12:23
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Not the most efficient use of taxpayers money by far big B. Get your act together.
On a more important note, where was the invite for me and the wife ...?
- Call me Dave, The Big Society, England, 25/02/2011 12:13
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