Many companies will be forgoing the traditional office party this year as austerity bites. At least not everyone will be feeling the economic pinch, as after all the bankers’ will still have their enormous bonuses to spend and can look forward to a good knees up. However plans to hold Christmas parties for bankers’ amidst war memorial gardens dedicated to merchant seamen, highlight a certain crassness and lack of taste that is sure to get people talking.
The
Guardian has revealed that Moving Venue, a company that specializes in events organizing, is planning a massive Christmas party in Trinity Square Gardens, on land owned by Tower Hill Council. Alcohol will be available from 11am until after midnight and an application will be made for live music, presumably so the bankers’ can dance around the light festooned memorials.
The Labour council will make money from the plans and has rejected complaints made by Trinity House, the ‘organization dedicated to mariners.’ The council responded to complaints saying “protests that it should not allow parties among the memorials to 35,000 men lost at sea were not "valid representations" under the terms of the Licensing Act 2003.”
Labour MP Jim Fitzpartrick believes that the plans will cheapen the national memorial. He told the
Guardian "Any company sensitive about its commercial reputation would not touch this scheme. This is a totally inappropriate place for people to get drunk and party in. If the company cannot see sense, then the council should withdraw permission to proceed at once."
Chris Allman, member of the Old Friends of the
British Merchant Navy, responded to the plans by writing
“This proposal is an absolute disgrace and should be stopped immediately. Both the Council and the Firm should be shamed nationally and a campaign should be started to do just that as soon as possible. Would dancing be allowed on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier or at the Cenotaph, I think not, so why should it be allowed at Tower Hill, why should the MN's courageous dead be disgraced in such a way?”
Last year, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said
“The banks have got to understand that this year public feeling may be even more inflamed than last,”
as he urged restraint regarding bonuses. However the banks did not feel inclined to take his advice, as a typical response from David Buik of
BGC Partners shows. He said “Boris is living in fantasy land” as he defended bonuses.
