Brum food justice
It’s seemed so long since we’ve heard their dismal carping, but those professional killjoys at the Taxpayers’ Alliance have restocked their quiver and unleashed a bevy full of arrows at the broad collective mid-riff of Birmingham’s 120 councillors.
Taking careful aim at the cross-party agreement to have a proper sit-down tea to debate and make decisions, critics of profligacy have not spared a menu consisting of steak pie or shepherd’s pie or curry and a veggie option.
Nor have favourite puddings, which include apple pie with custard and jam roly-poly escaped censure. Spotted dick, it has been trenchantly noted, is the dessert of choice of many councillors.
Defending their culinary rights, Cllr Mike Ward, secretary of the Lib Dem group argued: ‘If you want to get good decision-making from people, you have to make sure they are warm and fed.’
On the other side of the supper controversy, corporate services director, Mirza Ahmad, has questioned the need for high tea. Deputy council leader, Paul Tilsley, has expressed a preference for abandoning the ornate surroundings of the council house banqueting suite for a humble bowl of spaghetti bolognese at home.
But Diary is firmly on the side of the bon viveurs on this spat.
Let’s do the home economics.
At a cost of £2,000, we’re talking about £16.66 per head. Although this is hardly a turkey twizzler budget, the opportunity to break bread in these challenging times is surely to be welcomed.
We are, after all, often reminded that we’re all in this together.
How then can tough spending decisions be taken when the rustling made by a solitary pack of Twiglets can make tempers fray, distract minds and lead to unexpected belly gurgling?
