Eric Pickles Hits Back At George Osborne's Posh Byron Burger With Salad Twitter Pic

Eric Pickles Dishes It Out To George Osborne

Eric Pickles may have been the butt of a mean fat joke in George Osborne's spending review - but the Local Government minister proved he could take it and dish it out, posting a parody picture of him eating a salad posed in the style of the Chancellor's now infamous burger picture.

Osborne posted a picture of himself enjoying a late night burger, which the Sun revealed was not any humble pattie. It was, in fact, a gourmet meal from upmarket chain Byron and cost £9.70.

Pickles was the other butt of political jibes this week, mocked in Osborne's speech in the Commons on Wednesday when he said: "“My Right Honourable friend the Communities Secretary has set an example to all his colleagues by reducing the size of his department by 12 per cent and abolishing 12 quangos. He is the model of lean government.”

But there is no contest as to who is the healthiest late night snacker. Pickles' choice was a green salad, carrot batons and a Diet Coke.

Earlier on Thursday, Osborne was grilled on his burger preference on Radio 4's Today programme, saying he chose the posh burger chain because "McDonalds doesn’t deliver” their 99p burgers.

“As a politician you’ve got this dilemma, which is the only thing people see of you is you’re in the House of Commons, in a TV studio.

“The point about Twitter is to try and tell people more about what you’re doing every day, and there I am working late on my speech, and I’ve got a takeaway hamburger, but it puts you on the front page of the Sun. It’s an occupational hazard.”

Downing Street refused to pander to reporters on Thursday asking if David Cameron preferred Byron or McDonalds.

And for anyone still interested, former Gordon Brown spin doctor Damian McBride revealed the ex-PM's late night snack of choice.