Politics
Greg Evans
Nov 22, 2021
A Peppa Pig theme park is exactly the sort of thing you‘d expect to hear someone talking about at 10:30 on a Monday morning - if you were watching Channel 5. But maybe not when you are watching a speech by the prime minister.
For some reason, when giving a speech at the CBI Conference in South Shields, Boris Johnson made a point of waxing lyrical about the children’s animated show after he visited Peppa Pig World on Sunday with his wife Carrie and son Wilfred.
In an odd moment in an already bumbling speech, Johnson asked the crowd how many of them had visited the family theme park in Paultons Park, Hampshire. Johnson’s question got a muted response, much to his dismay.
Regardless, Johnson carried on recounting his visit saying that “he very much enjoyed it” and that it was “his kind of place,” which prompted some laughter from the audience.
Johnson carried on talking about Peppa Pig World and championed its “discipline in schools” and “heavy emphasis on new mass transit systems” but wasn’t too impressed about the stereotypes being forced on Daddy Pig.
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He continued: “The real lesson about Peppa Pig World, for me, was the power of UK creativity. Who would have believed that a pig that looks like a hairdryer, or a Picasso-like hairdryer, a pig that was rejected by the BBC would now be exported to 180 countries, with theme parks in both America and China as well as in the New Forest at a business that is worth at least £6 billion to this country. “
He added that he thought that was “pure genius” and that “no Whitehall civil servant would conceivably come up with Peppa.”
While Johnson might have thought this was a worthwhile tangent to go off on, the reaction on social media is unimpressed, to say the least.
Moses parted the Red Sea, @BorisJohnson just stayed at a friend's villa there! Suspect the CBI would have learnt co… https://t.co/N7n6G7DSxS— David Lammy (@David Lammy) 1637579379
Ladies & Gentlemen, the Prime Minister: https://t.co/83kfv8NtHo— William Kedjanyi (@William Kedjanyi) 1637576659
Boris Johnson should’ve stayed in Peppa Pig World. His bizarre performance and speech at the CBI conference will a… https://t.co/bzJb8YeDr8— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin Maguire) 1637577689
Macmillan We have not overthrown the divine right of kings for the divine right of experts Churchill Failure is no… https://t.co/YK7yTftH2t— James Felton (@James Felton) 1637581547
Opens Twitter, sees the PM has praised Peppa pig world. I'm going back to bed. https://t.co/ZtJU1qOJvX https://t.co/cqxAJfvaE6— ⛄ Duffeh | 🏳️🌈 (@⛄ Duffeh | 🏳️🌈) 1637577852
Boris Johnson arriving at "Peppa Pig World" 😃 https://t.co/puPdQ5WODJ— russ (@russ) 1637579894
"Peppa Pig World" ladies and gentlemen I present our PM 🤣🤣 https://t.co/hL1toBSfBW— russ (@russ) 1637578600
PM's *green growth* speech to CBI was incoherent & rambling Stories about Peppa Pig, imitating a racing car & *Mot… https://t.co/orSc1eUi9h— Caroline Lucas (@Caroline Lucas) 1637581007
Lol, he's crap at speeches, thinks he's Moses and is chatting about Peppa Pig, but actually what he's doing to day… https://t.co/iG838KjkkZ— Jess Phillips MP (@Jess Phillips MP) 1637580044
A national embarrassment, as well as a corrupt coward. https://t.co/eSv19QJdKf— Dr Rosena Allin-Khan 💙 (@Dr Rosena Allin-Khan 💙) 1637581906
What is it with Tory PMs and pigs— Hannah Jane Parkinson (@Hannah Jane Parkinson) 1637589870
Other highlights of Johnson’s speech included him championing the “bouncebackability” of British business, imitating a race car and namechecking former leader of the Soviet Union Vladimir Lenin.
Perhaps the most embarrassing moment was when he appeared to lose his place in his speech and spent around 20 seconds shuffling through his papers, trying to find his spot again.
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