Eric Pickles Twitterviewing

Earlier this week we twitterviewed (interview via Twitter) Eric Pickles, the Chairman of the Conservative Party and the MP for Brentwood & Ongar.

The rules of the twitterview are simple; we ask a question in a single tweet and replies must also be in a single tweet.  For anyone who doesn’t use Twitter, a tweet is limited to 140 characters.

A transcript of the twitterview follows (questions are in bold):

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Why have the Tories chosen Sweden as their education policy template when it’s OECD PISA scores are lower than Finland’s?
We’ve looked at models in the USA and all over the world so it is not exclusively Swedish.

Was the Chancellor right to at least try to limit the pay of bankers?
We are not opposing the plans; the banks have brought this on themselves.

Do you still believe that you need a second home to be on time for meetings?
I don’t claim second home allowance.  Individual MP’s have to be accountable to voters for their own decisions.

What are the Conservatives going to do about the Barnett Formula?
The government promised a review by last summer and we’ve heard nothing since, any changes would need to be gradual.

This past year your voting record is 53%, well below average, how do you justify this?
I’m Party Chairman, I spend a lot of time around the UK talking & listening to real people, unlike Gordon Brown, stuck in the bunker.

Will the Conservative Party repeal Ed Balls’ Vetting and Barring Scheme?
We welcome Balls’ U turn but we still want to see the detail.

If elected, what will a Tory Government do address the imbalance in the UK-US extradition arrangements?
We are going to review the imbalance of the treaty. We have opposed McKinnon’s extradition.

What will be our mission in Afghanistan under a Conservative Government?
Clarity, leadership and proper support of our troops.

With respect, that is not a mission or justification for being there. What justification do the Tories give?
Combating terrorism and bringing stability to the Afghan people.

Are you in favour of mandating open primaries for all parliamentary seats?
After 100 open Primaries & two all postal ballots, they are a big success and are the future, local choice, not mandatory.

How many seats will the Conservative Party win at the next election?
Where’s my crystal ball? It’s not in the bag yet, no complacency from us.

Come on, behind closed doors what are your expectations?
Nice try, but my last answer is my final answer!

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Thank you to Eric Pickles MP for his participation.  You can follow Eric on Twitter via @EricPickles.  Thank you also to everyone who submitted questions.