Thursday, May 17, 2012
Taking the Biscuit
Today's Telegraph contains an astonishing story about the UK Energy Minister, Greg Barker, whose responsiblities include tackling climate change. They say that Mr. Barker upset his colleagues by using the office microwave to heat a cushion for his pet dachshund Otto.
The paper says that Mr Barker, who is understood to bring the dog to work at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), reportedly put Otto's puppy warmer in the same microwave used by staff to heat their lunches.
"When [he] first arrived we had to watch our step, as the dog wandered around the office," a source told the Daily Mail.
"We put up with that. But when he started using our microwave to keep the dog nice and snug with a heated cushion, it proved he thinks more of the dog than us.
"Some refused to use [the microwave] because of hygiene worries."
The five-month-old dog has recently attended a meeting with the heads of energy firms and soiled the carpet during a visit by Mr Barker's Colombian counterpart.
They add that Palace of Westminster rules ban all but police and guide dogs from Parliament after a pet soiled the carpet in the Commons in the 80s.
The paper says that Mr Barker, who is understood to bring the dog to work at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), reportedly put Otto's puppy warmer in the same microwave used by staff to heat their lunches.
"When [he] first arrived we had to watch our step, as the dog wandered around the office," a source told the Daily Mail.
"We put up with that. But when he started using our microwave to keep the dog nice and snug with a heated cushion, it proved he thinks more of the dog than us.
"Some refused to use [the microwave] because of hygiene worries."
The five-month-old dog has recently attended a meeting with the heads of energy firms and soiled the carpet during a visit by Mr Barker's Colombian counterpart.
They add that Palace of Westminster rules ban all but police and guide dogs from Parliament after a pet soiled the carpet in the Commons in the 80s.
