President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Britain, as reported earlier this week, was a chance for the leaders of the two nations divided by a common language to reaffirm their historic “special” — now deemed to be “essential” — relationship across a whole range of topics and subjects.
For Obama, the three-day visit also saw him pay a visit to the Queen’s London pied-a-terre, have burgers on the back lawn of No. 10 with PM “Dave” and the troops and give a speech to the Houses of Parliament.
Now it emerges that like in Ireland, the presidential motorcade nicknamed “The Beast” also figured in the visit here.
The limousine received a 10 pound (about $16 dollars) ticket for not paying London’s controversial congestion charge, the BBC first reported.
No big deal, right? After all, Obama’s not the Pope.
(Incidentally, London Mayor Boris Johnson closed some roads in the capital for the Popemobile during his eminence’s recent visit and so there was no congestion charge to answer in that instance.)
That said, the issue of London’s congestion charge is actually a larger one as far as the U.S. and other nations that have embassies in London are concerned.
They owe an astonishing 51 million pounds (about $87 million) in unpaid tickets. And the U.S. leads that race with over 5.2 million pounds owed.
And the U.S., like other embassies, maintain they are exempt from the charge because under diplomatic law they are not required to pay “direct taxes.”
Boris and Co., for their part, say the charge is not a tax.
And no one wants to call the whole thing off.
A call by the Tell to Transport for London confirmed that the Beast did indeed get a ticket during its sojourn, although there was no news as to whether this latest bill was swiftly taken care of, or just added to the pile.
The U.S. Embassy said it “conscientiously abides by all U.K. laws, including paying fines for all traffic violations.
For Obama, the three-day visit also saw him pay a visit to the Queen’s London pied-a-terre, have burgers on the back lawn of No. 10 with PM “Dave” and the troops and give a speech to the Houses of Parliament.
Now it emerges that like in Ireland, the presidential motorcade nicknamed “The Beast” also figured in the visit here.
The limousine received a 10 pound (about $16 dollars) ticket for not paying London’s controversial congestion charge, the BBC first reported.
No big deal, right? After all, Obama’s not the Pope.
(Incidentally, London Mayor Boris Johnson closed some roads in the capital for the Popemobile during his eminence’s recent visit and so there was no congestion charge to answer in that instance.)
That said, the issue of London’s congestion charge is actually a larger one as far as the U.S. and other nations that have embassies in London are concerned.
They owe an astonishing 51 million pounds (about $87 million) in unpaid tickets. And the U.S. leads that race with over 5.2 million pounds owed.
And the U.S., like other embassies, maintain they are exempt from the charge because under diplomatic law they are not required to pay “direct taxes.”
Boris and Co., for their part, say the charge is not a tax.
And no one wants to call the whole thing off.
A call by the Tell to Transport for London confirmed that the Beast did indeed get a ticket during its sojourn, although there was no news as to whether this latest bill was swiftly taken care of, or just added to the pile.
The U.S. Embassy said it “conscientiously abides by all U.K. laws, including paying fines for all traffic violations.
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