Eric Pickles turns down Cambridge councillors' car vs bike challenge

Pickles refused the car versus bike challenge. I think the challenge should be run with a tub of lard used to represent Pickles. There is a precedent for this.

Have I Got News For You substituted a tub of Lard for Roy Hattersley when he failed to attend the show.

If you ever wondered what the fall of the Roman empire was like, I think looking at Britain today might give you an idea.

It seems like government just can't act decisively. Any solutions to obvious problems are explained in a way that tries to convince you with subterfuge. It gets rather tedious after a while.

I'll be glad when the oil runs out, survival of the fittest indeed!

Just started reading all of this. I had to look up the 'Sontaran' reference. I now understand.

It was probably 25 years ago that a car last had the chance of beating a bike across Cambridge.

Get that barrel of lard on a bike and I'll start believing in Cameron's cycling revolution! He reminds me very much of the South Glos cycling champion, similar build, same crass stupidities, drives 4x4 and doesn't ride a bike.

Politicians, say one thing, do exactly the opposite, and they wonder why we don't trust them.

He's not so much a Sontaran, more one of these...

Which is all a load of bullshit.......morons here still think they give one toss about anyone not in a motor vehicle?

Nope, you are sub human scum to them when in reality, they are the sub human scum.

Hmmm, interesting! I have, literally, just received this email from Policy Knowledge Briefings, telling me what the government - the very same government of which Mt Pickles is a distinguished luminary - are promoting:

"Cycling is a great way to keep fit, and with 70% of women and 60% of men failing to reach even the recommended minimum level of physical activity, the government are keen to promote cycling as a mainstream form of travel for all. According to the 2011 census, 741,000 people using cycling as their main form of transport for getting to work in England and Wales, however, safety concerns may be putting others off.

This timely policy briefing will provide a forum for discussion and debate on the key issues affecting cyclists in the UK and what more must be done to persuade people to cycle as their main mode of transportation.

Key topics will include:
• Creating a Cycling Revolution in Britain
• Case Study: Velocity 2025 – Transforming Cycling in Manchester
• The Health Benefits of Cycling
• Ensuring Safety on the Roads for Cyclists
• Building on the Success of the National Cycle Network"

This has done wonders to restore my faith in the consistency of government policy....

On another note, Top Gear tell me I don't work hard enough and are some sort of subhuman. Now the government is telling me I'm elite. I've never known whether to believe the government or TV, now I'm even more confused!

Mmm, let's take the piss out of him 'cos he's fat. Yup, both devastatingly original and a brilliant way of gaining the intellectual and moral high ground.

That said, a train ticket to Cambridge and taxi fare across Cambridge wouldn't cost much (a local bike shop could fund it and get some publicity out of it) so his reason to decline the challenge doesn't really apply.

The link to Cambridge News is broken, there's an 'h' and ':' missing from 'http:'. I assume Pickles sold em off.

Cars in Cambridge should be safe, legal and RARE.
It's frightening that people like Pickles are given any access to an opinion that matters, the man is a landfill of wrong.

Fat gobshite in "not putting money where his mouth is" shocker.

What Pickles, and others, fail to understand is that cities like Cambridge were not designed for the level of car use it now sees. Sadly, their 'solution' is to pursue policies which attempt to shoehorn as many cars as possible into an inadequate space, rather than actually do something meaningful to deal with the horrendous congestion.

Pickles and his dog-whistle stupidity is one of several reasons I'm not a Tory, despite being a privileged and wealthy white male liberal.

Geez, where I live only the "elite" can afford a car. Most people couldn't even afford a cargo bike, get real Pickles.

He's another one who ate all the pies. Yep, getting him on a bike might help his health. He must be a bit of a dimwit. Cities like Cambridge and York don't have much room for cars and keeping motorised traffic out of the centre will be better for all, as well as helping boost the local economy.

Promoting walking, cycling and public transport is more important than trying to pit motorists against cyclists for political gain.

... so the challenge is nothing to do with political capital then.

Pickles and Shapps - dumb and dumber

Everybody stop being nasty to Mr Pickles this man needs our help let's get him on a bike so he can lose some weight and enjoy the wonders of transportation under your own steam.

I say stop fighting Mr Pickles and start embracing Mr Pickles with love and caring. Let's all chip together and buy him a bicycle for him to enjoy.

All this anti Mr Pickles is only making things worse, lets change our ways and bring him into the fold of bike riding culture.

join the campaign

MAKE PICKLES A CYCLIST

Also, I'm not sure what part of 'buying a rusty old second-hand contraption composed of a few bits of welded steel' is considered 'elite'. Many of the bikes in Cambridge look as historic as the city itself. Cambridge's transport system is one of the most rustic, simple and humble I know (in England).

Is throwing the word 'elite' into the same sentence at 'Cambridge' meant to conjure up an army of anti-elitist supporters? Or will walking be considered elitist next? Or standing? Or existing in any other form than a sagging sack of potatoes, with an IQ to match?

Silly Pickles.

Yeah... he said what they said he said. Not what he said he said.

And now I don't know why 'said' is spelt like that. Looks strange. Certainly doesn't rhyme with 'maid'. English is a funny old thing...

What a fat c**t.

Pickles a such a waste of (a lot of) space.

He's presently doing the rounds making what he's been told are vote winning noises.

The present government cannot deny responsibility for promoting eh.... Sontarans to positions were they harm most. At least, this minister leaves his audiences in no doubt about his lack of problem solving capacities and political nous. Makes life so much simpler.

We have this 'problem' in York as mentioned by the big guy. The problem seems to be that whenever any attempt is made to re-route car traffic away from the city centre the car lobby supported by the local press are up in arms. A recent trial restricting traffic ended in failure and legal wrangling in York.

The sad fact is that cyclists are in the minority and need government support for things to change not the unhelpful attitude of Pickles et al.

Excellent comments on the European attitude to cyclists safety in another post - how can we change this in the UK?

What is Eric Pickles for? The only time I ever hear of him is when he's said something daft.

Oh, please, Please, PLEASE put that wobbly bowl of lard on the bike!