How Disgraceful £80000.00 A YEAR…. Only Picture – But please leave your comment!. Simon Burns’ use of a Government car may embarrass David Cameron but the department insists he hasn’t breached any rules.The PM faces a potential embarrassment after it emerged the Rail Minister takes a chauffeured car to work rather than the train. The Department for Transport has defended Simon Burns’ use of the £80000 a year chauffeur-driven departmental pool car, saying it is permitted by the Ministerial Code. It is unclear as to whether he uses it everyday. According to the Mail on Sunday, the Conservative MP travels 35 miles between his Essex home and Westminster in the car to avoid overcrowded trains. The timing of the disclosure – days after above-inflation rail fare hikes – is likely to anger commuters and the public as well as embarrass David Cameron’s government. A spokesman for passengers’ campaign group Railfuture told the newspaper: “It would be nice if the person who is setting these fare rises was also experiencing some of the congestion and overcrowding endured by ordinary, hard-pressed travellers.” But Mr Burns reportedly defended his use of the car. He said: “I have given up my second home in London and I commute to and from work carrying classified papers which I work on during my journey.” A Department of Transport spokesman said: “The Minister of State does not have a home in London but uses his commute to work on official papers and so travels in a car provided by …
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