What about the soldiers and premature babies Eric? #No2AV

There is something about the figure that Eric Pickles (pictured left in a role he fulfilled when I was working for the other side) has magically plucked out of the treasury to ensure the 'front line' services of weekly bin collections are brought back.

It seems vaguely familiar.

Oh yeah that was it. Has that £250 million been offered to buying bulletbroof vests for our soldiers? (Especially on the day that Liam Fox announces MoD job cuts). Has it gone into maternity units especially cardiac units after all it seemed to be all that Labour were moaning about all week?

I haven't seen those pledges made anywhere since May 5th. Therefore I think Eric Pickles should do the only honourable thing and give up that amount which is actually quite a lot more than a vote under AV would have cost the tax payer extra to one of those noble causes that only months ago he was claiming could have done with the money.

After all I don't recall seeing Eric launching the following ad anywhere, do you?

Hat tip to James Shaddock for sparking this idea

Eric in a pickle over waste

Eric Pickles says it is a basic right for people to have their rubbish collected weekly and therefore is looking at ways to spend £250 million to 'restore' weekly collections.

Of course what has happened in most locations is that alternative weeks are taken up with general waste collection and recyclable waste. the example of flats as a case were weekly or more than weekly collections are made is of course an anomaly as there of course there are communal waste facilities and what you provide for residents has to be empties when it is required. Of course people in flats can of course recycle, look at the scheme in Edinburgh where different types of communal bins are provided for tenements for different types of waste.

Take a look at the size of the average wheelie bin. Compare that to the size of the old style bin that we all used to get by with being collected once a week. With the size of families going down and more single occupancy it is clear that we are actually each producing more individual waste every week. Most of us have more than one for different types of waste, so sort it out properly. If your general waste is too full look at what should and could go in other collections. Therefore it is not so much the right of each individual to have weekly collection but the responsibility of each individual to reduce their waste.

Non-Doms - In the Tories Own Words

"I think it time to pass a law that says that if you want to be in the Houses of Parliament, if you want to be a legislator, you need to be or be treated as a full UK taxpayer."

"There are members of the House of Lords whose tax status is unclear. If you want to sit in the House of Lords or Commons you have to be a fully resident UK taxpayer.

"We would pass that law if we get elected. We would pass it straight away, we would bring it into force as rapidly as we could. I think that would put the situation beyond doubt."

So said David Cameron in a Sky news interview on 12 December last year.


So what have the Tories said about non-dom status of MPs and Lords over the years? Especially over the status of major donor Lord Ashcroft.

David Cameron

1 December 2009 "[Zac Goldsmith]'s obviously going to end this status and become a full UK taxpayer and he needs to do that as rapidly as can be done." Adding that all candidates for Westminster should do likewise.

2 December 2007 "I am satisfied that the undertakings [Lord Ashcroft] gave are being met and I've reassurances.....that he is resident in the UK and pays taxes in the UK."

5 February 2008 "[Lord Ashcroft] gave assurances, I've sought assurances about them. I've been given them and I'm happy to leave it at that."

Lord Ashcroft

Statement before enoblement

9 December 1999 "Mr Ashcroft has told The Times that he recognises the concern about foreign funding and that he intends to reorganise his affairs in order to return to live in Britain."

William Hague

Apparently saying it was a done deal. Letter to Number supporting his peerage 1999.

"This decision will cost him 9and benefit the Treasury) tens of millions a year yet he considers it worthwhile."

George Osborne

On 14 February 2010 was asked in a Sky interview five times about Ashcroft's status, the best he could come up with about someone who's donated more than £4 million to the Tory war chest was, "Lord Ashcroft's tax affairs are a matter between him and the Inland Revenue."

Eric Pickles

5 December 2009 When asked about Ashcroft's tax status: "He'll be very happy to tell you."

9 February 2010 "This obsession with Lord Ashcroft is ridiculous."But refusing to mute such obsession. He claimed that the "scandal deep at the heart of politics" was not whether or not Lord Aschroft paid tax in the UK, but the extent of the reliance of the Labour party for funds on the trade unions.