George Osbourne's "austerity Burger"

[jake-the-peg]

Seems humble man-of-the people George Osbourne posted a picture of himself hard at work having a beef burger lunch

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23077801

Only thing is it turns out to have been a ten-quid burger!

I've not lived in London for 30 years but that seems steep to me

What did you last spend on a take-away burger?

Are we still all in it together George?

[sandyRoe]

He would really have drawn attention away from the swingeing cuts if he'd ordered a meal from a posh restaurant and washed it down with an expensive bottle of claret.

[jake-the-peg]

I just think it shows a little PR niaivity.

He obviously wanted to portray himself hard at work, eating egalitarian food at his desk and it rather backfired.

I'll bet he didn't even know what it cost - chances are someone was sent out for a burger and thought 'Better get a good one for the boss'.

[TheBaBas]

"Salad"

As the demi-god that is Homer Simpson once wisely said - "You don't win friends with salad."

[chrisgel]

Humble Pie?

[Octavius]

Beans on toast, cupasoup, pot noodle, proper austerity food.....

[FredPuli43]

There's nothing wrong with being genuine. If your style of life involves holidaying on your boat, from your mooring in the Port Vauban, or grouse shooting , or you drink fine wine, there's nothing wrong in that, austerity or not. It may not be tactful to have the press round to picture it every week, but it's genuine. What is odious is having the press photographing you as an ordinary bloke when you patently are not.

[ludwig]

// What could he have been pictured eating that wouldn't have caused people to be so absurd? //

Nothing. Anything would have been criticised and ridiculed, which is why they were stupid to pose such a photo.

Gordon Brown was much more cautious - he wasn't even prepared to say what his favourite biscuit was without consulting his spin doctors first.

[jake-the-peg]

A ham sandwich?
An apple?

Anything that doesn't look as if it was brought over from Fortnam and Masons by his valet?

[ichkeria]

Is it "genuine" to be photographed at your lunch? That surely is the point. He definitely didn't want to be snapped with Bolinger and pate de foie gras so maybe he thought "a burger will show I'm down with the plebs. But please, not MacDonalds" :-)

[LazyGun]

I like the Chris's idea of him eating a slice of humble pie :)

If he really wanted to show how "down with the masses" he really was, he should have brought in a snap-box with a wholemeal cheese, lettuce and tomato sandwich, apple, small choccie bar and mineral water.

Eating a burger at lunchtime in your office - not sure that many peeps are able or willing to do that, plus which it is a bad example :) There are much tastier healthier options to eat...

[ludwig]

jake //A ham sandwich?
An apple? //

LG //he should have brought in a snap-box with a wholemeal cheese, lettuce and tomato sandwich, apple, small choccie bar and mineral water. //

All of that stuff would have been laughed at. A simple photo of him sitting at his desk would have been the only safe option. Even then people (jake) would have said 'Yeah right, as if he sits on a chair writing like normal people. We all know he gives dictation to a minion whilst lounging on a golden throne and using a 12 year old chimney sweep as a footstool'.

[ichkeria]

""Pickles?" they ask over the phone

"No," says George, "it's for me."

Speaking of which I'll say this for Jeffey - he does have a sense of humour, with his tongue-in-cheek description of Mr Pickles as the shining example of "slimmed down" government (!)

[ludwig]

All of which reminds me of the time David Miliband committed the terrible crime of being photographed holding a banana, which he never quite managed to live down.

I'm not quite sure what it is about holding a banana that necessitated the ridicule he got, but there you go. Politicians have to be careful around food.

[TWR]

And he's laughing at all of us.

[ChillDoubt]

ANYONE who tweets a picture of what they're eating is a tw*t, IMHO.