What is it with LGA chairman Sir Merrick Cockell's name that summons the spirit of Mrs Malaprop?
Only last week, Diary noted how shadow chancellor Ed Balls mangled the Smith Square chief into 'Merrell Cockle', while esteemed MJ editor Heather Jameson did for his surname, sullying the pronunciation to give us that alarming mutant 'Sir Merrick Pickles'.
