ERIC Pickles obviously isn’t in politics to win any popularity contests. The Communities Secretary appears to relish his job of delivering bad news to local councils about their budgets being slashed.

He fancies himself as a comedian at the dispatch box and is a bit of a plain-talking, old-fashioned, political bruiser in a Cabinet of so-called toffs (though as someone educated privately and at a grammar school, I am a fine one to talk).

But even when he is trying to be helpful, Mr Pickles succeeds in doing the opposite.

In his House of Commons speech on Monday, he singled out Dorset County Council, claiming it was the only authority in the country to have its revenue spending power increased – whatever that piece of government-speak means.

His comment has left council bosses angry, giving the impression that Dorset isn’t so badly off after all, while its political leaders are busy trying to ‘sell’ a £50m cuts package to electors, councillors, worried service users like the elderly, the unions and thousands of council employees.

The message from County Hall is that things can only get worse, or are likely to, and council bosses felt compelled yesterday to remind everyone how poorly funded Dorset has been.

Meanwhile, if council leader Angus Campbell did not know already that he has a massive public relations job on his hands, he does now.

Mr Pickles may no longer be on his Christmas card list.