Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Champagne Socialists
Given the UK Labour Party's obsession with millionaires I am quite intrigued by the scandal currently unfolding in France around the rich ministers in François Hollande's Government.
According to the Guardian the Socialist government has been revealed to contain several multi-millionaires. Hollande and his ministers face embarrassing accusations that they belong to a group (highly unpopular in France) known as the gauche caviar, or what British people call champagne socialists.
I understand that the French Government has sought to counter this by increasing transparency. They have published a list of the assets belonging to their Ministers. This has uncovered about half a dozen members of the gauche caviar running France.
I am very much in favour of our Government following suit. But why stop there, shouldnt Ed Miliband and his shadow ministers also publish details and the value of their assets? After all, if Labour are going to criticise we should at least know what they are worth.
According to the Guardian the Socialist government has been revealed to contain several multi-millionaires. Hollande and his ministers face embarrassing accusations that they belong to a group (highly unpopular in France) known as the gauche caviar, or what British people call champagne socialists.
I understand that the French Government has sought to counter this by increasing transparency. They have published a list of the assets belonging to their Ministers. This has uncovered about half a dozen members of the gauche caviar running France.
I am very much in favour of our Government following suit. But why stop there, shouldnt Ed Miliband and his shadow ministers also publish details and the value of their assets? After all, if Labour are going to criticise we should at least know what they are worth.
