- Feather duster: Margaret Thatcher. Conservative Party Conference, Blackpool, 1975. The new leader of
the opposition used it to “sweep away the dirt of lingering socialism” from the lectern – during Willie
Whitelaw’s speech, rather than her own. Thanks to Steve Martin. - Handcuffs: Edwina Currie. Conservative Party Conference, Blackpool, 1981. She was demanding a
tougher policy on law and order of Willie Whitelaw, the home secretary. - Principles bag: David Hunt. Conservative Party Conference in the 1990s. The cabinet minister in John
Major’s government said the bag, from Principles, the fashion shop, “was Labour’s principles, then turned it
inside out to show it was empty before discarding it”, said Danny Finkelstein. - Leg of lamb: Ian Liddell-Grainger. Conservative Party Conference, Blackpool, 1999. Held up on the
conference stage by the “wild-eyed” Devon representative (The Guardian), later an MP (2001-10). He was
protesting against Labour’s farming policy. - Financial Times: Francis Maude. Also at Conservative Party Conference, 1999. The shadow chancellor
“theatrically shredded” an old copy of the newspaper which reported Gordon Brown’s promise to cut tax. - Snowball: James Inhofe. US Senate, 2015. Senators are always bringing in visual aids – often pictures – in
a doomed attempt to liven up their dull speeches. The Republican senator for Oklahoma brought a snowball
to the Senate floor to gain attention (successfully) for his claim that climate change is not real. Nominated
by Sam Wilson. - Lump of coal: Scott Morrison. Australian parliament, 2017. The Liberal finance minister held it up to
show “how the government in Canberra was going to keep the lights on, and keep power prices low, and
stop the relentless march of socialism, or prevent random thought crimes against base-load power stations”,
according to The Guardian. Thanks to Richard Edinger. - Part of Iranian drone: Benjamin Netanyahu. International security conference, Germany, 2018. The
Israeli prime minister often illustrates his speeches at the UN with pictures, documents and cartoons, but
this time it was a piece of wreckage from a drone he said was shot down in Israel. Nominated by David
Webster, Eylon Levy and Omer Lev.
Next week: More Twitter jokes.
Coming soon: Backing musicians, such as Mick Jagger on “You’re So Vain”.
Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to
[email protected]