A regional daily which backed David Cameron ahead of the General Election has accused him of “arrogance” over disparaging remarks he made about people on its patch.
The Yorkshire Post has published an editorial attacking what it called the Prime Minister’s “disdainful” remarks about the county after he claimed people in Yorkshire “hated everyone else”.
The remarks were made off-camera while discussing rival devolution bids from within the county with an unnamed man, but were picked up from Mr Cameron’s microphone by the BBC.
He was in Leeds today making a speech on reform of public services.
David Cameron leaving the stage in Leeds
Mr Cameron said: “We just thought people in Yorkshire hated everyone else, we didn’t realise they hated each other so much.”
In response, the Post published an editorial on its website which described the comments as “totally unbecoming” of a statesman and Eton-educated Prime Minister.
It said: “Rather than making arrogant assumptions about political leaders who are striving to do their best for their communities, it might have been more prudent of the Prime Minister to explore whether the Government can do anything to overcome these local differences – the priority, after all, is improving productivity so this county can become an even more significant economic powerhouse in the years to come.
“By drawing reference to a rather stereotypical and outdated view of Yorkshire, Mr Cameron’s gaffe totally overshadowed one of the most profound speeches of his second term to date when spoke in stark terms about the threat that Labour posed to the country’s economic security, and how the Tories want to put prison reform at the heart of a ‘smarter state’ agenda in which the public sector will be challenged to look at more effective ways to deliver existing services.
“The Prime Minister only has himself to blame for this message becoming lost in translation.”
Mr Cameron later visited Headingley Stadium, in Leeds, where the England cricket team are playing Australia in a One Day International.
In an interview with BBC Test Match Special, the Prime Minister said he had been “joking” when making the comments but that he expected to be “getting a bit of gyp” for it.
Before May’s election, the newspaper took the unusual step of coming out in support of a second term of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition.
Six rival Yorkshire devolution deals have been submitted to the Government for further consideration and the Post said there had been “dismay” at the potential consequences of North Yorkshire being split in two.
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
Jeez, have we suddenly lost our sense of humour today? It was a joke, why the big fuss?
And I can’t even blame serious southerners to not seeing the funny side now, can I?
Report this comment
Quote in The Times article:
“Peter Box, the Labour leader of Wakefield council, said the one-liner was made in jest.
“He was using the fact that there were so many [devolution] bids from Yorkshire to try to make a joke,” he said.
“The reason I found it quite amusing is there’s some truth in it. We’re quite tribal, we’re competitive within Yorkshire, let alone with the rest of the country.”
Well done Peter Box for seeing at it was rather than Posts’ manufactured ‘outrage’ – plonkers.
Report this comment
Just an Eton school boy paying out the poor. Hit the nail on the head. Like with Sinn Fein they submitted due to the UK being staunch. No they could have ripped the agreement in 2005 when the UK was stuck in a two front war. And armed resistance would have freed the provinces. But they signed it and they honored what they signed. But the environment that is NI, it is not a good thing to say. It is fragile.
Report this comment
What a pompous lot they must be at the Yorkshire Post. Get a life people!
Report this comment
The days when the local Yorkshire (or anywhere else) paper’s view mattered even a jot are long gone.
They’re an utter irrelevance these days.
Report this comment
Posh southern boy knows little about anything north of Watford.
Report this comment
Totally agree with Local Hack. Why is it regional newspapers always seemed obliged to come out in a rash of faux outrage every time anyone says anything about their patch?
Report this comment
Can’t quite decide what appals me the most: the sheer pomposity of the YP or the fact they decided to back this ‘Eton Rifle’…
Report this comment
We accuse politicians of not being like ordinary folk, and then we pounce on them when, as on this occasion, they come out with the kind of joke most of us make every day.
When regional newspapers get aerated about stuff like this we seem parochial and chippy. The really clever response would be for the YP to come up with a better joke.
Report this comment
Serious sense of humour failure at the Post. Such a venomous reaction may indicate that even though Cameron’s comment was clearly made in jest – and in what should have been a “private” situation – there may be some truth in what was said. Broadcasters, particularly the way-Left BBC, should be required to protect/destroy non-broadcast material such as sound-checks and rehearsals. Some junior producer or sound technician is no doubt feeling a little anti-Tory glow at having sneaked the information out.
Report this comment