Monday, March 30, 2009

The Most Embarrassing Moments in Politics

The Mandate Blog, in honour of Jacqui Smith has compiled a list of Top 7 Embarrassing Moments in Politics. They are...

1. Neil Kinnock falling in the sea.
2. John Redwood & the Welsh anthem
3. Al & Tipper Gore's Convention kiss
4. William Hague's 14 pints boast
5. Peter Costello's embarrassing singing
6. Peter Lilley's little list
7. Tony Blair sweating at the Labour conference

I suspect it would be easy to get this list to 50 fairly quickly... Over to you.

90 comments:

  1. A political commentator and blogger who cannot spell "embarrassing"?

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  2. Jackie Smith would definitely make the top 10 with ease. The other two I would put in the top 10 are John Prescott's left hook and Ted Heath's incident with the custard. I would say Mandy's incident with the custard too, but I don't like the cause of the protester, there were many better reasons to throw custard at Mandy.

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  3. Neil Kinnock party speech,

    "well alright" "well alright"

    Gordon Brown - It started in America

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  4. That Joe Biden "stand up" thing.

    Michael Foot 1983 "Have you seen the Wrexham result?"

    George Bush tries to exit through the wrong door.

    Tony Blair in those tight fitting pants.

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  5. Thank you!!

    I've never seen that kiss mentioned before as a yukky moment but I've never forgotten it. No feeling in it - just I'll press my lips as hard as possible against yours.

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  6. "We have become a grandmother".

    Pluralis majestatis and all that.

    Well, she might have been our greatest post-war PM but boy, this one still makes me cringe.

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  7. Miliband's "Hestletine moment"... and his "banana moment" the next morning

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  8. Unfortunately, Eric Pickles attempt to justify his 2nd home allowance on Question Time, just the other evening.

    It was one of the most toe curling experiences I have had to endure as a Conservative.

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  9. 1992, TORY David Mellor sex scandal...

    The SUN >>> "From Toe Job to No Job" on its front page.

    classic.


    :)

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  10. I know I am adding to my RSI to no purpose, but I have to defend Hague.

    I was brought up in a pub in the days when there was a lot of food and not much alcohol in beer. Draymen who were not driving often had a couple of (free) pints after each delivery and sweated it out at the next one. If Hague was doing this work, fourteen pints might have been an exaggeration, but it was probably not a gross exaggeration.

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  11. Get ready to cringe cringe cringe >>

    Another classic Tory sex scandal >>>

    The John Major and Edwina Currie affair...

    OMG doesn't it just make feel queasy thinking about it!!

    ;)

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  12. I guess it would only squeeze into any Top 50 but I found Gordon Brown clinging on for dear life while Bush did some joyriding and laughing in that golf buggy rather funny, and not a little embarrassing for our dear PM.

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  13. Remember this grim Tory tale from 1994...

    Stephen Milligan MP

    "The discovery of his corpse in what was presumed to be a state of auto-erotic asphyxiation, combined with self-bondage and cross-dressing, led to a greater public awareness of auto-erotic asphyxiation and self-bondage and their risks."

    "A bizarre detail of his death, which was the subject of much comment and speculation at the time, was that he was found to have had an orange segment in his mouth at the time of his death.
    At the time of his death he was engaged to Julie Kirkbride, now Conservative MP for Bromsgrove."

    "Milligan's death significantly contributed to ending John Major's "Back to Basics" policy initiative."

    " Most commentators reflected that the circumstances of the MP's demise were a personal tragedy that unjustly overshadowed his achievements in life and his promising political career. Meanwhile, PM John Major branded the events and circumstances leading to Milligan's death as being "rather sad"."

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  14. Paxman vs Howard.

    The dancing to 'Things can only get better' in 1997 (particularly Kinnock and Prescott).

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  15. Bill Clinton Mouthing the words "I Love You" to Hilary during the Democratic convention last year.

    I cringed so much I got back ache

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  16. I thought it was really great when David Miliband said on Question Time that it wouldn't be long before the public would be begging Tony Blair to come back as PM!

    hehe

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  17. Howard Dean's "I have a scream" speech;

    Michael Portaloo and his "Who dares wins" guff (complete with pudding bowl haircut);

    Diane Abbot - "Every white person is racist";

    Derek Draper, full-stop.

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  18. Waking up in the morning and realising you're Gordon Brown.

    David Lammy on Mastermind.

    Militant Protests at various Labour Conferences.

    "go back to your constituencies and prepare for government."

    Prescott's midweek game of croquet.

    Churchill losing the '45 election. Damn!

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  19. ...oh and the Badger Hunter Ron Davies. Very embarrassing

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  20. Millions of George Bush moments...

    Loved it when he walked into the closed door. What a plonker.

    :)

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  21. Ditto Eddie's comment (4:30) I like Eric pickles and I'm a Conservative by nature and action BUT it does show that they're all at the trough and as Iain said in an earlier post it needs sorting NOW!

    word verification 'packed'

    ...nice

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  22. That AWFUL photo of William Hague wearing the naffest baseball cap in the world. So deeply uncool.

    :)

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  23. I agree with the many above, Eric Pickles performance on Question Time last week made me want to weep and then slap him in the head!

    Pickles was soooooo dreadful!

    ;)

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  24. I used to have a link to video of the Peter Lilley conference disaster (which I've posted here before) but it’s in my faithful PowerBook laptop which is in for repair.

    However it’s easier to find John Redwood.

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  25. The above, plus:

    Portillo's 'S.A.S!'

    Hesletine's hop.

    Mandelson's 'I am a fighter!'

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  26. Blair soliciting applause when he finished "goodbye" speech in Sedgefield and hand picked audience didn't realise he had finished.

    David Davis soliciting standing ovation at Tory party conference.

    Margaret Thatcher - Two Little Boys (aaaaargh)

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  27. &

    Prescott's sexual antics.

    Pitt failing to convince George III to give Irish Catholics the vote. Feeling he had to resign. :(

    Pitt having to try and convince Parliament that the King wasn't a complete loon.

    Heath's laugh.

    Gordon Brown being like totally owned by Dan 'The Man' Hannan.

    Alistair Campbell having another mental breakdown live on Channel 4.

    Dr David Kelly committing suicide.

    Obama trying to walk into the White House through a window.

    Bill Clinton: "It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is."

    Known knowns and known unknowns.

    2 Jags' very short drive to conference.

    The Labour activist bloke getting arrested at their conference. For shouting at Jack Straw. Who wouldn't?

    Kim Philby scandal.

    Profumo affair.

    Getting RSI :) There are some anyway.

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  28. Blair's 2003 speech to Congress. Horrific lickspittle cringe.

    "I know this is...kind of late, but sorry." et al

    eughhh.

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  29. Last one:

    Ian Duncan-Smith - the Quiet Man.

    Huh?

    Another perfect 10 on the cringeometer.

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  30. Cherie Blair singing a Beatles song in China?

    That did happen, right? It wasn't a bad LSD trip? tell me it really happened...

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  31. Craig Murray saying he'd rather take himself in hand than give ol' Jackboots one. The cad!

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  32. Brown becoming Prime Minister.
    Brown absent-mindedly picking his nosae and putting his finger in his mouth. In the House. On TV.

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  33. John Edwards (Democrat) locking himself into a hotel bathroom at 3m to avoid the papparazzi chasing him...they caught him visiting his LURVEchild.

    ;)

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  34. Oh, Search for Lilley etc on google found my old post and the link of Peter Lilley’s greatest hit.

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  35. What about Phil Woolas's pied?

    If you are talking about just MPs then fine, but what about Draper's gaffe last week on DP, 'we publish every year,' and then, 'we haven't published it yet!'

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  36. Nick Clegg having no idea what the basic state pension is...

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  37. Iain Dale losing his temper on BBC Radio Wales.

    :-)

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  38. canvas said...

    'Cherie Blair singing a Beatles song in China?
    That did happen, right? It wasn't a bad LSD trip? tell me it really happened...'

    Thanks canvas. I'd blanked that from my mind, doctor's orders.

    This reminds me of another few:

    Cherie: Getting PAID to open a shopping centre whie on an official trip with Tone.

    Cherie: Apologizing for the Bristol flats fiddle.

    Cherie: Getting caught by the press calling Brown a liar.

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  39. *while

    Charles Kennedy totally failing to explain(understand?) his own local income tax policy while campaigning at the general election.

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  40. Jeremy Thorpe...'Bunnies can and will go to France'.

    Poor old Norman just laid there and bit the pillow.

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  41. Guido Fawkes appearing as a mysterious silhouette on Newsnight!

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  42. Canvas wrote: Remember this grim Tory tale from 1994...

    Stephen Milligan MP


    Yes, but this was not embarrassing for Mr Milligan, I think you will find. He was dead and well out of it...

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  43. Surely it must be Mark Oaten's unusual appetite.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprophilia

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  44. George Bush Snr vomiting on the Japanese PM.

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  45. If we're going international, how can we overlook Brian Cowen and the white House autocue? Reading your hosts speech by accident takes some beating.

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  46. Harman making a fool of Alan Duncan on QT a few months back when she quoted the tories on mortgage de-regulation. Really made me cringe.

    "Michael Foot 1983 "Have you seen the Wrexham result?""

    Aethelstan - what was that all about?

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  47. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  48. Gordon Brown getting lost in Buckingham Palacem Gordon Brown with his trousers tucked into his socks, Gordon Brown coliding with a plant pot (was that in India?), Gordon Brown with that orange mark on his face etc

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  49. http://www.order-order.com/2008/04/gordon-loses-his-way-again-with-plp/ - ah yes, here are most of them.

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  50. David Cameron

    I will withdraw the Conservative Party from the EPP by Christmas. (Frimley 23/11/05)

    .

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  51. Johnathen Aitken "Sword of Truth".

    Not strictly political but Littlejohn vs Toynbee is a classic

    Cherie's hair and gorgon face on opening the door to the paparazzi

    LABOUR MP Chris Bryant advertising himself on a gay contact website.

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  52. +++ Breaking News +++

    Dan Hannan's YouTube channel has just reached 3000 Subscribers.

    +++ +++ +++ +++

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  53. Vice-President Joe Biden's channel has 2,541 Subscribers.

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  54. Shame you missed out my fav. Mandy telling us what a fighter he is after being kicked out! Point is, of course, the bugger proved to be right.

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  55. All in all it's a shame that More 4 seems to have taken off THE DAILY SHOW

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  56. Gordon Brown picking his nose in PMQS.

    Harriet Harman more recently making a Freudian slip about how many business were saved.

    William Hague's baseball cap turn at Notting Hill.

    And ofcourse, GORDON'S SAVED THE WORLD blunder last year.

    List is endless isn't it!

    http://www.plenty2say.com

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  57. Paul Halsall said...“All in all it's a shame that More 4 seems to have taken off THE DAILY SHOW”

    They haven’t. Jon Stewart is on another of his innumerable vacations. I think you’ll find it will be back again on Tuesday. (Ditto Stephen Colbert on FX.)

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  58. Red Aussie PM Paul Keating - the "Lizard of Oz" - pawing Her Maj.

    Git.

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  59. I don't remember things but I think politicians are embarrassing most of the time.

    It's the way they speak. Why don't they speak like normal people?

    I wouldn't want one at a dinner party.

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  60. My personal favourite was Tony Blair talking to Paxman about excepting donations:

    TB- These are people that own the Express Newspapers
    PAX- Yes
    TB- Right well, in that case in my view, it's perfectly acceptable for us to take a donation from them.
    PAX- They also own horny house wives, mega boobs, posh wives..... do you know what these magazines are like?
    TB-..............no

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  61. whoops, I meant *accepting* not expecting.

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  62. Two jags playing ,,hide the chippolata with the civil service typing pool

    Blair and his trollop standing there while Reg Keys remembered his son speech in the Sedgewick elections , with his utter contempt
    permeating the air

    Blairs hand of history

    On TV after the F1 scam with more slap than an Avon ladys sales winner of the year saying ...trust me I'm a pretty honest sort of guy!

    Pickkles last week
    Brown listening to Hannans political dissection last week
    Smith last week
    Heads of state waiting for brown to finish his slash
    Brown meeting Obama ,simpering , then comming back with a full size cardboard cut out

    Spitting image of steel/ owen becoming reality

    thatchers vegetables take root

    Thatcher thatcher milk snatcher

    Blair and the wife of the dying cancer victim

    Bush /Brown share toothpaste

    Trollops flatgate and conman shennanegin's and subsequent apology

    Brown french kissing the french presidents wife

    The mushy peas incident

    Neil Kinnock ever since his birth

    Paxo and he who stalks the night on multiple truth avoidance

    Leotards, lapping cats and robot dances.

    Portillo looses

    Kinnock wins

    Im a fighter not a quitter

    the banana moment
    the india affair
    bumfluff for a mustache

    Jeffry Archer and his pimply back

    Foot at the senataff

    Derek Hatton in a cab at liverpool

    Mellor drags his family to the gate
    Chelsea shirts

    Major/ Currie maneuvers

    Sunny Jim ...what crisis?

    Labour and the IMFPlanted questions and Urals tractor production stats

    14 pints and baseball caps

    Bunnies can and will go the france

    lemsip thinks hes got cheeky

    gawd ..once you start its hard to stop

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  63. I must be the only living person to remember the film clip of Margaret Beckett slaughtering 'House of the Rising Sun' to a karaoke machine at a long distant party conference. I suspect all the other witnesses have been ... disposed of.

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  64. hey, @ conand - this is a good one....

    remember Cherie Blair opening the front door in her PJ's jimjams?! hehehe

    :)

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  65. Derek Draper's existence.

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  66. What about fat boy Prescott getting into a punch up? Or fat boy Prescott playing Croquet? Or fat boy Prescott losing it when the fat tub or lard got found out taking a car 50 yards to the Liebour party conference?

    What about walter Wolfgang being dragged out of the Liebour party conference by fat slobs reminding us of the famous Saddam Hussein conference where all his opponents were dragged away for execution.

    What about Harriet Hatemenperson in her stab vest?

    What about fatty Brown getting the middle finger from Obama the other week (total humiliation)

    What about when Bliar got asked if he prayed with George Bush?

    God there are hundreds involving the corrupt bunch of scumbags in power at the moment.

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  67. Michael Foot in a shabby mac at the cenotaph.

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  68. Satsuma philophylaxic tesco bag dude - comedy death - Darwin cheered!!

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  69. Gordon Brown picking his nose during Tiny Blair's PMQs.

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  70. The Walter Wolfgang one is good value. But worse still were the stewardly hordes getting their stories straight in the pub ... at the next table to The Morning Star who had the exclusive the next day.

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  71. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  72. Chris Paul, you will not be surprised that I deleted your last comment as it was clearly libellous. If you do that again I will ban you from commenting here. behave.

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  73. What's been going on behind the Speakers' chair?
    Some kind of counter-spin operation?

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  74. I notice Chris Paul has not rushed to repeat the libel on his own blog. Methinks he wants to sabotage you.

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  75. Last night's Commons scrap (will Eric Pickles be declaring his second career as a fight promoter?)

    The Mawhinney-Heseltine 'comedy double act' (ye gods!)

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  76. Surely all of these lists have to be of 10's or 100's.
    Absurd to have a list of 7 - makes one think the compiler was actually thinking and not just counting.

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  77. @denverthen
    Red Aussie PM Paul Keating - the "Lizard of Oz" - pawing Her Maj.

    And the next day defending it by denouncing British colonialism ..

    .. and the following day Ian Botham blasting a hundred and sending Australia crashing our of the world cup!

    Git indeed!

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  78. The Most Embarrassing Moments in Politics?

    How about the team from Total Politics failing to get full marks in a fairly simple politics round in last night's National Liberal Club quiz?

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  79. Labour elected to second and even third terms.

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  80. Can I just state the following here:

    I emailed Iain Dale about his defeat in the quiz last night. He is very magnanimous in defeat. In fact, a very nice fellow.

    I don't agree with his politics at all, but he's a nice guy.

    Andy.

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  81. (this is coming from a failed LD council candidate.)

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  82. No mention of Neil Hamilton and the biscuit?

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  83. I rather thought John Prescott was thought to have come out well from the collision between his fist and the egger and so not an embarrassing moment at all.

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  84. Clip of Margaret Beckett slaughtering House of the Rising Sun at Karaoke here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGrmwjX8Hvg

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