Rishi Sunak, the ‘devoted Swiftie’… and 9 other times British politicians ruined music

LONDON – Rishi Sunak is a huge Taylor Swift fan – honestly!

Britain’s prime minister on Tuesday became the latest British politician to attempt to claim some pop influence. In an effortless sequence during a speech to a conference of *checks notes* middle-aged newspaper editors, Sunak declared himself “a champion of defense and a dedicated 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 have rounded up the worst offenders. Look what you made us do.

David Cameron faints in front of the Smiths

Nothing spoke to Eton-educated Tory posho David Cameron quite like the working-class kitchen sink drama of the Smiths.

The then-Conservative leader declared his love for the miserabilist Mancunian band in 2010, even choosing “This Charming Man” as his desert island record. This earned him a scathing rebuke from Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who tweeted: “Stop saying you like the Smiths, no you don’t.” I forbid you from loving him.

Not content with ruining a great 80s guitar band, Cameron also found time to ruin REM for everyone. Thank you my friend.

Gordon Brown definitely knows what an Arctic Monkey is

What’s the best way to turn a dour number cruncher into a lovable 2006 election winner? Make him believe he likes the band of the moment Arctic Monkeys.

In an interview with New Woman magazine, Brown said that listening to Alex Turner’s Indie Heroes in Sheffield “really wakes you up in the morning”.

It sparked feverish visions of tax credit enthusiast Brown leaping out of bed with his iPod to “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.”

The Labor titan was then forced to clarify that he had given an ill-advised instant response and that in fact he “preferred Coldplay”, which should have instantly disqualified him from public life.

Harold Wilson courts the Beatles

Politicians trying to gain a little influence with yoof is of course not a new phenomenon. Labor Prime Minister Harold Wilson tried to emulate Beatlemania in the 1960s. He even appeared on stage to award the Fab Four an entertainment industry gong, then… stood there looking awkward , while the world’s biggest pop stars cracked jokes.

The Beatles returned the favor two years later by writing a song, er, directly criticizing Wilson’s tax policies.

Matt Hancock is a huge fan of grimemy friends

Long before he became a camel penis-chewing reality TV star, Matt Hancock was culture minister, responsible for flying the flag of British achievement.

This led to a now-legendary editorial for The Times in which the Oxford-educated minister and MP for leafy West Sussex said: “As a fan of grime, I know the power of the UK’s urban music scene. United. »

Skepta, who Hancock casually named in the article, would later ask grime stars who support politicians: “Are you really stupid, bro?”

Theresa May, queen of dancing???

Embattled Prime Minister Theresa May proved to everyone that she wasn’t just a clumsy automaton that somehow, we *think* jump on stage at a Conservative Party conference to the sound of… Abba’s “Dancing Queen”?

Downing Street then insisted that the “dance” was “spontaneous”, and May kept the festive mood going non-stop with a crowd-pleasing speech that touched on the common fisheries policy and the challenges of running an “export business in Penarth”. »

Ann Widdecombe, cheeky girl

At one time, Ann Widdecombe was a prominent Conservative MP and even a minister. But after 2002, politics took a backseat – and she embarked on a second career as a TV personality.

As a guest judge on the current affairs comedy show “Have I Got News For You?” » Widdecombe channeled Romanian music duo ‘The Cheeky Girls’ and their immortal classic ‘Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)’.

Reading deadpan from a teleprompter, Widdecombe offered: “We are the Cheeky Girls.” We are the Cheeky Girls. You are the Cheeky Boys. You are the Cheeky Boys. Cheeky. Cheeky.” Something to think about.

Tony Blair accidentally murders Britpop

Tony Blair has remade Harold Wilson history by trying to involve Britpop’s brightest stars with his shiny new 90s image of the Labor Party at a glitzy party in Downing Street.

Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher turned up, although he later claimed he only did so because he was high and thought he would get a knighthood from it.

Britpop superstar Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker was so passionate about Tony Blair that he wrote a song about how much he hated him, then proceeded to kill Britpop to death. Rule Britannia!

Teddy Taylor, Bob Marley crate digger

“If Sir Teddy Taylor is elected No. 10, the walls will resonate to Bob Marley’s bass.” This made for quite a headline in an independent newspaper in 1996.

Prime Minister John Major’s pinstriped-suited Eurosceptic thorn in the sidelines seemed an unlikely reggae fan, but the Indy confidently assured readers that Marley’s “Soul Almighty” was Taylor’s latest love interest. “If it’s not true, it should be,” the paper adds hopefully.

Taylor’s musical influence doesn’t stop there. The MP took advantage of an intervention in the House of Commons to attack “dirty” Al Jourgensen, frontman of industrial metal icons Ministry, over colorful antics on stage.

The Chicago band returned the favor by titling their sixth album “Filth Pig,” a record Jourgensen later described as “full of dirges of nothing but pain.” Looks like British policy is right.

Nick Clegg unnecessarily makes a Carly Rae Jepsen song

Free the tapes!

As a junior coalition partner with the Conservatives, Nick Clegg went from progressive idol to promise breaker in the eyes of many young voters in 2015.

But have no fear! These young prodigies at Liberal Democrat HQ had a cunning plan to rally the youth vote. Hear me here: what if we filmed the Deputy Prime Minister of the UK miming to a Carly Rae Jepsen song for a reported cost of £8,000 and then didn’t show it to anyone because it’s so bad ?

Clegg then became a high-profile lobbyist for Facebook, presumably so he could remove the images if they leaked.

Andrew McDonald and Noah Keate contributed reporting.

Politico