ANOTHER FREEBIE FOR THE BLAIRS AT TAXPAYERS EXPENSE

Tony Blair, it seems, cannot do anything without provoking a controversy — not even take a family holiday.

Blair, who is spending the New Year's eve with his family in pop star Robin Gibb's luxurious villa in Miami, faces the prospect of a parliamentary inquiry when he returns home amid a controversy whether he paid for the privilege of staying in a property that reportedly costs between £25,000-£50,000 a week to rent.

If he has not, he could be in breach of rules that forbid MPs from accepting free hospitality.
Two Opposition MPs — Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat) and Philip Davies (Conservative) — planned to ask Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Philip Mawer to inquire whether Mr. Blair had broken any rules.

The controversy erupted after Mr. Gibb's wife Dwina Murphy-Gibb was reported as saying the couple had not taken any money from the Blairs for staying in their 10-room waterfront mansion. "It's just a friendly thing,'' she told a newspaper.

Downing Street however insisted that the Prime Minister was paying for it. It was a "private commercial arrangement'' agreed through Mr. Gibb's manager John Campbell.
In the past also there have been controversies over Mr. Blair's holiday arrangements with his rich friends. "We need to put an end to this gravy train. It is shameless and entirely inappropriate for Prime Minister to cadge free or cut-price holidays in this way,'' Mr. Baker said.
Mr. Davies accused Mr. Blair of "systematically bringing the office of Prime Minister into disrepute.''

Although the Blairs are reported to have paid for their own flights, their staff (10 people) will be paid for by the British taxpayer. Much of the cost of providing security during the holiday will be met by the US taxpayer.