Council chief brands Pickles a “clown”

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

The Chief Executive of Barnsley council has attacked local government minister Eric Pickles as a “clown” and the cuts he is being asked to make “silly” in an interview with BBC Radio Sheffield. Responding to claims from the minister that cuts wouldn’t have an impact on well-run councils, Barnsley chief executive Phil Coppard said:

“You’ve got this clown of a secretary of state saying that in well-run councils, the public won’t notice any difference, I mean what planet is this guy on?”

“Public servants aren’t supposed to be angry, but you look at this and it’s unfair.”

“It’s the big lie tactic that if you tell a big enough lie, and say it often enough, then people will believe it.”

“We saw this coming, we didn’t know it was going to be this silly. We’re taking money out of every service, everything is vulnerable.”