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#1
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Tony Blair flies commercial??
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/26/blair.plane/index.html
What the heck? This shocks me. Does he have to take his shoes off for security? |
#2
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Re: Tony Blair flies commercial??
Wow, I just read that was wondering the same thing! I understand not having an air force one equivelant, but commercial? Hope he had least gets to travel in first class.
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#3
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Re: Tony Blair flies commercial??
This is because Tony Blair is not a "Head of State". Traditionally, the Head of State is the ceremonial ruler of the country. They are the ones who get to do cool stuff like ride in Air Force One. In Britain, the Head of State is the Queen.
Tony Blair is the "Head of Government". This meand that while he holds political power, he is considered an ordinary person and doesn't get to do the cool stuff. The reason Bush gets Air Force One, State Dinners and such is that he is the Head of State and the Head of Government. |
#4
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Re: Tony Blair flies commercial??
Thanks. That was informative and I guess it makes sense (if you're a brit and love the queen). But what if something happened to Tony Blair? Would it be as devastating to the country, economy, etc., as if something happened to our vice president? Like I said, I understand not having an air force one, but at least charter a jet for the guy.
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#5
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Re: Tony Blair flies commercial??
Its a wonderful thing in some ways: The PM is not held up as some divine dear leader.
Of course the first time I saw Buckingham I thought "Looks like the people lost the class war" |
#6
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Re: Tony Blair flies commercial??
iron,
Your post is incorrect. The Prime Minister, like the royal family, uses a mix of Royal Squadron planes, chartered planes, and commercial travel. I suspect that since some budgetary controversies regarding use of the royal planes, the PM has perhaps flown commercial more often when going on holiday. But, in general, your Head of State/Head of Government distinction is just plain false when it comes to stuff like travel on special government planes. |
#7
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Re: Tony Blair flies commercial??
I think you're right. I know that various Heads of Government get to fly military jets and such. I was trying to explain why Blair would be caught dead flying commercial and I got carried away when I said that they don't get to do that kind of thing.
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#8
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Re: Tony Blair flies commercial??
Does he have a bunch of guards? I would be worried about this whole "assassination thing" being a leader of a nation or whatever.
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#9
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Re: Tony Blair flies commercial??
There was some fuzz in Sweden with the prime minister chartering a plane and it was for a private visit, then it became a small media hype about it in several countries and put some politicians in a bad light, so I think it is mostly a PR-issue to avoid headlines like "PM's vacation cost 20k of taxpayer's money", nobody would critizise him doing it on a state visit. To fly commercial the way they fly it can't be cheap though, I know the Norwegian government has an agreement with several commercial airlines that if the PM or ministers want to fly they will always get a seat, no matter where and when.
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