Great Politician Gaffes Meme: Perhaps You Have Other Ideas?

Mandate PR have begun a list - giving seven great cringes of recent political history - Iain Dale has opened his comments to the floor. Here are Mandate's seven:

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 sweatfest at Labour conference

We've suggested the "Walter Wolfgang" stewards sitting in the pub getting their stories straight ... at the next table to The Morning Star's finest. And we've suggested Sir Cyril Smith's brutally punishing young bare bollock naked lads being called "smacking a few bare backsides" by Liberal leader Sir David Steele.

We might have added the misogynistical travails of a just-elected MP of the class of 2005. Finding the shine knocked off his success by a morning after the victory party the night before complaint of rape against a trusty and lusty lieutenant. And getting right down to smearing the allegedly wronged woman's reputation to all and sundry. Nice fella. Wrote to her denying this. On House of Commons notepaper no less. Very nice fella.

Perhaps you have other ideas? Happy to take local ones from Greater Manchester councils as well as the National and International.

BELOW THE BELT: No-one had the above Big Brotherly scenario. Or the related incidents. And we're not going to mention Iain Dale's inability to spell "embarrassing". Not so soon after his struggle with "Qunatatative". Or whatever it was.

UPDATE Tue 00:34: Eric Pickles starts this week as he left off last week. Toe curlingly embarrassing fall out from his drinks party behind the speaker's chair. Sky report below. Which incidentally was the scene of an historic sex romp - among Tories I'll be bound - coyly treated in a buried Mail on Sunday story last year.



What the hell! I'm sure he's safe enough in the Tory Chair job as Caroline Poppins hung on for ages after stuffing up. So here's poor Eric Pickles explaining on Question Time why he needs his second home pied a terre - for which he claims a modest £13,700 per annum - in addition to his home. Just 37 miles away: