PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers
- Sign up to see last 24 hours
News, gossip and insight from PoliticsHome Editor Paul Waugh
Wednesday 10th October 2012 | 09:33
Pickles' Salad Days
Eric Pickles just can't help defying the odds. Literally.
Ladbrokes made the mistake in 2010 of taking bets on the Communities Secretary being snapped at a balti house. (He took a pic of himself and urged them to 'pay out!')
But today I can reveal photographic evidence that the bookies will have to shell out more dosh on their wild gamble this week that Uncle Eric wouldn't be seen dead eating a salad (they offered odds of 3/1 against*).
Eric had joked when he first saw the bet that he "wouldn't touch a salad with a bargepole", but last night he did indeed tuck in to a plate of green stuff in the Strada restaurant in the ICC.
I hear it's all part of the new Pickles diet: "no cheese, no chips, no seconds".
I think he should market that...
*FOOTNOTE: Fortunately for Ladbrokes the other bets haven't had to be paid out. They included:
Eric Pickles to be photographed on a morning jog with David Cameron - 66/1
Eric Pickles to be photographed on a bike ride with Boris Johnson - 40/1
Eric Pickles to be photographed on a morning jog with any other member of the Cabinet - 33/1
Eric Pickles to be photographed taking a morning jog on his own - 15/1
November 2010