David Cameron had one of those moments on the campaign trail this morning. This is what happens when you are too used to reading your speeches off an autocue, I guess. He was talking about how he wanted to see Britain at ease with multiple identities.
From the Guardian:
Where you can support Man Utd, the Windies and Team GB all at the same time.
Of course, I’d rather you supported West Ham.”
Asked to clarify his loyalties after his speech, which he read from an autocue, Cameron replied: “I had what Natalie Bennett described as a brain fade.
I’m a Villa fan … I must have been overcome by something … this morning.
But there we are, these things sometimes happen when you are on the stump.
It’s the sort of gaffe that anyone could make and it’ll make us all laugh for 30 seconds and move on. Although I do wonder if Conservative peer Karren Brady, who’s vice-chairman of West Ham, had anything to do with it.
Those digital geniuses at Lib Dem HQ have reacted quickly though to give that amusing moment a little extra traction. They’ve done a few amusing “page not found” jokes before. Here is today’s:
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10 Comments
Gosh these digital geniuses are busy bees at the moment aren’t they 😉
Yes, that’s the sort of thing that’s going to win the Lib Dem votes isn’t it ?
Maybe not, but I applaud the Lib Dems for injecting a little light relief into this somewhat rancorous campaign!
& I am surprised that Clegg’s utterances about not going into coalition or C&S with Labour if the SNP are included have not been put on LDV as a main piece.
We heard a lot about consensus and ‘grown up politics’ from Clegg pre-2010, now he seems to take a different view.
If, as predicted, the SNP end up with more seats than the Lib Dems it will look a little shabby to try and keep them away from Westminster influence.
But, as usual with Clegg, it appears he makes it up as he goes along.
How many shaly Lib Dem votes has he lost because of what he said ?
Sorry, typo…shaky, not shaly.
@ PBBrown
“I am surprised that Clegg’s utterances about not going into coalition or C&S with Labour if the SNP are included have not been put on LDV as a main piece.”
I’m sure that has not escaped the attention of the hard-working LDV team… Who knows, they might even be on the case as we speak… There is quite a bit going on at the momet 🙂
Meanwhile a little light relief is welcome…
Indeed, Alex Sabine. There will be a piece about Nick’s FT comments later. But as you correctly surmise, we have lots of other things to do at the moment as well as run LDV.
It’s all claret and blue to the PM. Which if rumours are to be believed are amongst his favourite colours.
As for the FT piece I haven’t been behind the paywall but the quotes I’ve seen seem extraordinary. Clegg needs to get real. Even if the Tories have most seats a Tory led government may not be viable. 10 extra MPs than Labour could count for nothing if there’s 50 celtic nationalists of various sorts determined to vote the Tories down. Lib Dems are fond of reminding people they don’t necessarily have a choice in who to support. Labour may be the only offer available even if the Tories have most seats. And did Clegg really say coalition of the losers and that the second largest part wouldn’t have legitimacy? That’s a big change from 2010 that needs to be explained.
David Cameron was repudiating the notorious ‘Tebbutt test’ and for that he deserves credit. I hope people see that.
It was good laugh for the moment, but I don’t see that it is very significant otherwise.
We complain about our politicians being detached from real life, but then expect them to show superhuman competance.
Actually – If Ed Miliband had claimed to be a genuine footie fan, and then forgotten which team he claimed to be a fan of, the Tories would never have let him hear the last of it. WesthamGate would take over from BaconButtyGate as the latest example of why Ed is a soulless android.
In fact, it’s Dave who has the perfectly plastic, confected non-personality. Hug a hoodie, hang a hoodie, Vote Blue Get Green, Green Crap. And now West Ham merge into Aston Villa.
But the Lib Demns will make excuses for the Tories. In the words of the OP, “It’s the sort of gaffe that anyone could make”. Anyone who is joined at the hip with the Tories would say that!