LONDON – Rishi Sunak is a huge Taylor Swift fan – honest!
Britain’s prime minister on Tuesday became the latest British politician to try to claim some pop influence. *checks notes* In a spontaneous debate during a speech at a conference of middle-aged newspaper editors, Sunak declared himself “a defense champion and a devoted Swiftie”. Okay Boomer.
But this isn’t the first time a British politician has tried to boost his credibility by frantically Googling “Who is a popular musician?” We gathered the worst criminals. Look what you made us do.
David Cameron attacks the Smiths
To Eton-educated Conservative posh David Cameron, nothing spoke like the working-class kitchen-sink drama of The Smiths.
The then Tory leader professed his love for the unhappy Mancunian group in 2010, even choosing “This Charming Man” as a desert island disc. This earned him a harsh rebuke from Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who tweeted: “Stop saying you like the Smiths, no you don’t. I forbid you to like it.”
Not content with spoiling one of the great guitar bands of the eighties, Cameron also found time to waste REM for all. thanks friend.
Gordon Brown sure knows what Arctic Monkeys is
How to turn a man struggling with numbers into a beloved election-winner in 2006? Ask him to pretend he likes arctic monkeys.
In an interview with New Woman magazine, Brown said that listening to Alex Turner’s Sheffield Indie Heroes “really wakes you up in the morning.”
It saw tax credit enthusiast Brown saying “I bet you’ll look good on the dancefloor” with his iPod in bed.
Labor Titan was later forced to To clarify, he gave an ill-advised quick reply and actually gave “Favorite Coldplay”, which should have immediately disqualified him from public life.
Harold Wilson wooed the Beatles
Of course, it’s nothing new for politicians to try to wield a little influence. Labor Prime Minister Harold Wilson famously Tried to tap into Beatlemania in the 60s. He even appeared on stage to present the Fab Four with an Entertainment Industry Award and then… stood there awkwardly while the world’s biggest pop stars told jokes.
The Beatles returned the favor two years later by writing a song that directly criticized Wilson. Tax policies.
Matt Hancock is a big fan of grimefellow kids
tall Before he was a camel penis-chewing reality TV starMatt Hancock was the culture minister, tasked with flying the flag for British success stories.
It inspired a now-legendary Op-ed for The Times In which the Oxford-educated minister and MP for leafy West Sussex declared: “As a grime fan, I know the power of the UK urban music scene.”
Skepta, whom Hancock casually named in the piece, would later ask about dirty stars Supporting politicians: “Are you so stupid brother?”
Theresa May, Dancing Queen???
Embattled Prime Minister Theresa May proved to everyone that she was not some kind of weird automaton, we*Thinking* Coming on stage at the Tory party conference to…Abba’s “Dancing Queen”?
Downing Street later insisted that the “dancing” was “spontaneous”, and May maintained the non-stop party vibes with a crowd-pleasing conference speech, talking about common fisheries policy and running an “export business in Penarth”. Was based on the challenges of. ,
Ann Widdecombe, Cheeky Girl
Ann Widdecombe was at one time a prominent Conservative MP and even a minister. But after 2002, politics took a back seat – and he began a second career as a TV personality.
The topical comedy show “Have I Got News for You?” As a guest judge. Widdecombe channeled the Romanian musical duo “The Cheeky Girls” and their immortal classic “Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)”.
deadpan reading from a teleprompter, Widdecombe offered: “We are bubbly girls. We are bubbly girls. You are a cheeky boy. You are a cheeky boy. Cheeky. Cheeky.” Something to think about.
Tony Blair accidentally kills Britpop
Tony Blair did the Harold Wilson thing again as he tried to get Britpop’s brightest stars on board with his glittery 90s rebrand of the Labor Party at a glitzy Downing Street party.
Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher came, although he later claimed he only did so because he was tall and thought it would earn him a knighthood.
Fellow Britpop superstar Jarvis Cocker, Pulp’s frontman, was so impressed by the whole Tony Blair affair that he Wrote a song about how much he hated her And then proceeded to kill the Britpop Stone. rule Britannia!
Teddy Taylor, Bob Marley Crate-Digger
“If Sir Teddy Taylor is selected for No. 10, the walls will thump to Bob Marley’s bass.” So there was a strong attack on an independent Topic Back in 1996.
The Eurosceptic thorn wearing a pinstripe suit at PM John Major’s side seemed an unlikely reggae fan, but Indie reassured readers that Marley’s “Soul Almighty” was Taylor’s latest love. “If it’s not true, it ought to be,” the newspaper said hopefully.
Taylor’s musical dominance does not end here. The MP used an intervention in the House of Commons to take a dig at “Filthy” Al Jourgensen, leader of the Industrial Metal Icons Ministry, over some off-color antics on stage.
The Chicago band returned the favor by naming their sixth album “Filth Pig”, a record Jourgenson later wrote. It has been told As in “The gun’s mouth is a moan of nothing but pain.” It seems as if British politics is fair.
Nick Clegg sings Carly Rae Jepsen’s song in vain
Release the tape!
As junior partner in the coalition with the Tories, Nick Clegg had by 2015 gone from progressive heartthrob to promise breaker in the eyes of many young voters.
But don’t be afraid! Those crazy kids at Liberal Democrat HQ had a cunning plan to get the youth vote back on their side. Listen to me here: What if we filmed the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom mimicking Carly Rae Jepsen’s song Reported to cost £8,000 And then never show it to anyone because it’s too bad?
Clegg became a high-level lobbyist for Facebook, presumably so that it could suppress the footage if it was ever leaked.
Andrew MacDonald and Noah Keatt contributed reporting.