Cameron filmed confused and clueless in gay equality TV interview

By Stephen Tall | Tue 23rd March 2010 - 11:40 pm

Channel 4 tonight broadcast excerpts from a quite extraordinary filmed interview with David Cameron in which the Tory leader appears utterly confused and clueless about his party’s position on the issue of gay equality. After stumbling over his own words, contradicting himself, and admitting he hasn’t got the answer, a visibly flustered Mr Cameron eventually pleads for the cameras to be turned off so that he can compose himself.

Here’s the six-minute report in full:

(Also available on the Channel 4 website here).

That Mr Cameron has run into trouble on the issue of gay equality is wholly predictable. (That he went into meltdown in front of the TV cameras a little less predictable). Lib Dem Voice has on three occasions this year highlighted the many contradictions between what Mr Cameron says his party believes, and how the Tory party votes:

One-third of Cameron’s shadow cabinet opposed to gay rights (16th Jan)
What will Cameron do next – as Polish friends show their prejudice once more? (21st Jan)
Gay rights – what will you believe: the Tory spin or the Tory voting record? (17th Feb)

In stark contrast, Nick Clegg has set out in crystal clear terms five firm proposals he would move to implement as Lib Dem policy to promote gay equality.

Of course, I may be underestimating the Tory leader. It could be he’s read the coverage of the imminent leaders’ debates – and the widespread media speculation that Mr Cameron will be a clear winner – and thought how he might lower expectations of his performance. A car-crash TV interview, in which Mr Cameron could show himself not to be up for the job, was perhaps felt to be the only way he could respond. Certainly his on-screen meltdown puts even Charles Kennedy’s stuttering manifesto launch performance in 2005 into perspective.

10 Comments

Dave Page 23rd Mar '10 - 11:59pm

I shan’t repeat my previous plug for DELGA over here
Iain Roberts 24th Mar '10 - 7:02am

Thanks Dave – glad you didn’t repeat that
Anthony Aloysius St 24th Mar '10 - 8:24am

It’s a shame this remarkable performance isn’t getting more widespread coverage. The BBC doesn’t seem to have picked up on it at all.
ColinW 24th Mar '10 - 10:42am

What a surprise. Man with no discernible political principles flounders.
Mark Wright 24th Mar '10 - 10:53am

He cant say what he should because he is afraid of the dinosaurs in his party. He’s weak.
Alix 24th Mar '10 - 12:01pm

I’m genuinely amazed by how badly he fluffed that. Ok, he “doesn’t know” about a particular vote in the European parliament, fine. But why hadn’t he thought through the answer to the free in UK parlt vote question? It wasn’t exactly off the cards that he’d be asked. Has he really, really never thought about it before?
Anthony Aloysius St 24th Mar '10 - 12:56pm

“I’m genuinely amazed by how badly he fluffed that.”

Yes – I can’t remember ever hearing a party leader come out with anything as lame as “I’m sorry … that wasn’t a very good answer”. He did an interview with Jeff Randall a couple of weeks ago in which he came across as not being in command of the figures on public spending, too.

I see a Harris poll just released has the Tories down at 35%, as did MORI yesterday. It would be fascinating to be a fly on the wall in Tory HQ just now.
Nic 24th Mar '10 - 5:27pm

This says more about the sort of person Cameron is (slippy, lacking in beliefs and principles, willing to not tell the truth to get out of a difficult situation..and of course the equalities elements to this) than the rich diet of all the fluffy Cameron at home spin we’ve been fed. That other media hasn’t picked up on this is astounding…but given the perilous funding position of the beeb in particular, probably not surprising.
Simon R 25th Mar '10 - 4:59pm

May I suggest sending this around to people by email and uploading it to facebook? Ridiculous that more people don’t know about this.
libdemguru 27th Mar '10 - 5:30pm

free votes for everyone on this

One Trackback

By The Budget 2010: open thread on Wed 24th March 2010 at 2:32 pm.

[...] Alistair Darling has delivered his last budget as Chancellor, and what may prove to be the last Labour budget for many years. It was deeply, deeply dull, not aided by Mr Darling’s sonorous delivery. The Guardian has a summary of the key points – here are my subjective top 5: • No further announcements on VAT, national insurance and income tax. By freezing personal allowance, this is a real terms increase in income tax – as Mark Pack was quick to tweet, and as Nick Clegg was on-the-ball to note in his budget reponse. David Cameron, by contrast, seemed to be clueless (not for the first time). [...]

"Mad, swivel-eyed loons": a top Tory on the Tories

Ed Davey: Helping consumers to get cheaper energy bills

That EU vote: Stephen Tall's 6 thoughts on what it means

Same Sex Marriage Bill: Lib Dem MPs to be given free vote