A couple of Lewisham councillors, including the deputy mayor Gavin Moore, plus council officials decided to go on all expenses paid trip to visit their twin town of Johannesburg. It's amazing what trips can be taken when its the long suffering local taxpayers who are footing the bill.
Six of the party flew business class, including the two councillors. One official slummed it economy class. No expenses spared when local taxpayers are footing the bill.
Total cost of the trip was £16,560, £4,230 for accommodation and £12,330 for the flight.
A nice little 9-day holiday at taxpayers expense, including a weekend in a safari park.
The two councillors, have since been forced to pay their contribution. No doubt they will find some other little scam at taxpayers expense as recompense.
And why were they there? Face with the eviction of squatters on the Pepys Estate in Deptford, did the nine-day jolly include a trip to a squatters camp to see a demonstrations of how to evict squatters?
Reference
Keith Parkins, Scandal of Pepys Estate, Indymedia UK, 9 February 2005
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/02/305021.html Snout of Africa, Rotten Boroughs, Private Eye, 18 February - 3 March 2005
