Eric Pickles: Possibly At It Again

You know, every-so-often, you HAVE to ask questions, don’t you?

Don’t you … ?

“Do you want fries with that?” is a perfectly valid one, for example: although obviously, only in very specific circumstances. (None of which will involve Clint Eastwood saying “Well? DO ya … ?”)

“How did that photo get THAT size,” is another: I wish I knew, I’d be able to do something about it!

And a third … ?

Actually, a third is all about Brentwood and Ongar’s much loved MP, Communities secretary, Eric Pickles.

And I’ve got to admit, the question in question is “HOW MUCH … ?”

Because I’ve got to admit, I’ve just seen this article on The Guardian’s website — there’s a hoop or two to jump through, first though, they don’t make it easy … — and that’s the first thing I thought.

Whatever else one says of the man — and in person, he’s somewhat affable — I’m thinking if he’s paying that sort of money* to one man, for barely a year’s work, I have a couple more questions to ask.

Firstly … ?

“If you’re paying THAT much, Eric, will you be giving the likes of me a jobº?”

And secondly … ?

Secondly, given that Mr P’s noted for giving local councils hell in a bucket for overspends?

Secondly, I’d have to ask this:

“Mr Pickles, how do you justify paying one of your staff members that money: when it’s more than Joanna Killian — Essex County Council Chief Executive — got for the same sort of periodª?”

After all, he DOES encourage councils to spend less: he should SURELY do likewise.

Actually, there’s a thirdly, as well.

“Mr Pickles? Where EXACTLY did that money come from?”

Because if that’s public money, I think we have a right to complain …

* £580, 000, just over half a million, for 16 months: which works out at something like £36, 000 per month. Hell, I’ll work for THAT … !

º I refer my honourable readers to the footnote just above this one! (Actually, Debbi, Nina, I don’t how much that is in Euros or dollars: but it‘s not exactly potato peelings.)

ª Going by this article, she got £289,173 for 2010 to 2011: £385, 564 would be the equivalent figure for the 16-month period. (IE from January 2010 to April of this year. I divided her pay by 12, then multiplied it by 16, to get that figure.)