Who would want to be Prime Minister, when even an innocent holiday can lead to a PR disaster? Keir Starmer had to cancel his summer holiday last year because he couldn’t be seen to be swanning off to the sun while towns in the Midlands and North were erupting into rioting. Surely, then, a few days in out-of-season Madeira in the dead period between Christmas and New Year would provide a well-earned rest?
It would be tempting to feel sorry for Starmer if he hadn’t taken every opportunity to make political capital out when his predecessors were accused of exceptionalism
Unfortunately not. Starmer is back in the headlines for turning up at a toboggan run and being ushered past a queue of holidaymakers who had been waiting for a reported three hours. While their teenage kids took the ride, Starmer was then driven down the hill to meet them at the end. According to observers, a crescendo of ‘boos’ went up, along with cries of “get to the back of the queue!”
The Prime Minister’s spokesman claimed that the decision to usher the PM past the queue was made by Madeira police.
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