Ex-British PM criticized for charging party guests

Published : Jun 23, 2011 - 11:36 Updated : Jun 23, 2011 - 11:38

Tony Blair (MCT)

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is being criticized for charging £10 ($16) per student joining his son’s end-of-term party at his mansion, the Daily Mail reported.

For safety and the privacy of their son, Blair banned parents from driving into their estate, the report said.

As an alternative, they reserved coaches to escort the party goers from the school to Buckinghamshire, where the Blairs live. The students who were invited to the party had to pay a seat fee of £10, it said.

Since the Blairs are known to have a fortune of about £60 million, some parents of the students were unhappy with the fee.

However, a spokesman for the Blairs said: “The Blairs have agreed with the headmaster that if any family can’t afford the cost of the coach, then they won’t have to pay.”

By Christopher Kim
Intern Reporter
(chriskim1006@gmail.com)

<한글 요약>

英 전총리는 짠돌이?

토니 블레어 전 영국 총리는 아들의 학기말 파티 때문에 학부모들한테 쓴 소리를 들었다고 영국 데일리 메일이 전했다.

블레어는 자신의 아들의 보안을 위해 부모들에게 자가용을 타고 오지 말고 아이와 함께 자신이 제공하는 버스를 타고 오라고 당부했다. 그러나 한 사람당 10파운드를 지불하라는 말 때문에 논란을 불러 일으켰다.

많은 학부모들은 재산이 약 600만파운드(100억원)인 블레어가 버스값을 부담해야 한다고 못마땅해했다.

이에 대해 블레어의 대변인은 10파운드가 부담스러운 가족은 안내도 된다고 교장과 상의를 마쳤다고 전했다.

(헤럴드 온라인 )