He's not the deputy leader, he's a very naguhty boy

The war between Nottingham City Council and the Department for Communities and Local Government took a bizarre twist last night when Eric Pickles made the following speech.

We've altered Mr Pickles picture to look like the mother from The Life of Brian to help you get a feel for it...

"The deputy leader of Nottingham city council is a gentleman called Graham Chapman, which is obviously the same name as the late and long-missed member of "Monty Python's Flying Circus". It seems to me that the right hon. Member for Don Valley (Caroline Flint) should get on the phone to that gentleman and tell him, as his namesake's mother did in "Life of Brian", that he might be the deputy leader of Nottingham City Council, but he is a very naughty boy. If it is necessary for me to use the powers that I have to force Nottingham, I will, but why should this process be held back by one obdurate council that simply wants to play politics with transparency?"

Councillor Chapman , seen here in character, and Council Leader Jon Collins are still refusing to comply with Mr Pickles demand to publish all expenditure above £500 on-line.

But the Government is now making moves to force them to do so. This week it published a "code of conduct" for councils to follow on the publication of financial data - including guidance on publishing expenditure and the salaries of civil servants,

Under a piece of existing legislation introduced in the 80s by Margaret Thatcher, Pickles now has the power to issue an order to require councils to follow that code.

So are the naughty boys at Nottingham City Council about to get their punishment?