Fake P45s, cringeworthy 'cheese' speeches, Boris Johnson’s position being changed to ‘tw*t’ amid a data breach: Can the memorable Conservative conference blunders of recent years possibly be surpassed?
The 2022 Conservative Party Conference kicks off today and is creating controversy before it has even started. Amid the economic turmoil of Kwarteng’s mini budget, several prominent Tories, including Rishi Sunak, Sajid Javid, and David Davis, have confirmed they will not be attending.
With rebellion brewing among Tory ranks as the country descends further into economic crisis, there’s bound to be some fireworks in Birmingham in the next few days.
Tory conferences are certainly not immune to controversy and gaffe. We take a look at six of the biggest Tory Party conference blunders of recent years.
The collapsing slogan, P45 and persistent cough
It was a speech intended to unite bickering Tories and turn a corner for the waning PM. Instead, it did the opposite. Theresa May’s leader’s speech in 2017 turned into a monumental disaster, when a combination of a prankster handing her a fake P45, a hacking cough, and the slogan on the set behind her collapsing, meant it was remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Tory conference app security blunder
In 2018, a major flaw in the conference app meant that anyone could temporarily login and view the personal details of others using it, including cabinet ministers. The breach was discovered by journalists attending the conference. A number of MPs, including several in roles which required top-ranking security clearance, reported receiving nuisance calls following the data breach.
Members of the public leapt on the chance to cause some mischief and Boris Johnson’s ‘position’ was quickly changed to ‘tw*t’, while Michael Gove’s profile picture was replaced with one of Rupert Murdoch.
Liz Truss’ speech to Conference in 2014
The now infamous speech has to be one of the most cringeworthy addresses that has ever taken place at a Tory Party conference. Speaking about British imports, our current PM bragged about selling Yorkshire tea to China, and “growing wheat more competitively than the Canadian prairies,” as she grinned between every sentence seemingly waiting for an applause.
During the leadership contest, memes about the speech crammed the Twittersphere, with one user commenting: “The cheese speech confirms that Liz Truss is the best placed person to make this country grate again.”
Even the Truss-loving Daily Mail labelled it an ‘awkward’ speech.
Therese Coffrey sings ‘she’s had the time of her life’ as she cut Universal Credit
The recently-promoted health secretary was labelled ‘callous’ after she was filmed singing ‘I’ve had the time of my life’ at a karaoke event during the Tory Party conference in 2021. The then chief of the Department of Work and Pensions had just slashed UC benefits by £20 a week, a move that would reportedly plunge 800,000 people across the UK into poverty.
False Tory Party Conference catering claims
Testimony to how the people of Liverpool feel about Tories, a restaurant in the city said it faced a ‘torrent of abuse’ after it was incorrectly named as having catered for the party’s annual conference in Manchester in 2021. The British Italian Conservatives Group tagged II Forno in a tweet, naming the restaurant as the conference’s official supplier. The post created a backlash with people promising not to eat at the restaurant again. The group subsequently deleted the post and issued an apology saying it was incorrect.
Boris Johnson’s keynote 2021 speech peppered with dodgy jokes
Boris Johnson is well-known for making epic gags and his keynote speech as leader at the 2021 party conference was literally peppered with embarrassing jokes.
Referencing Michael Gove’s infamous night out in Aberdeen where he was seen dancing alone in a nightclub, Johnson said: “Let’s hear it for Jon Bon Govey, living proof that you – we – represent the most jiving hip happening and generally funkapolitan party in the world.”
The then PM went on to attack imaginary figures on the “loony left”.
“I read a learned article by some lawyer saying we should not bother about pet theft.
“I say to Cruella de Vil QC – if you can steal a dog or a cat then there is frankly no limit to your depravity,” he said to an obediently clapping audience.
It’s going to be an interesting week in Birmingham…
Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward
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