2024’s oddest political moments from Truss storming off stage to Tory intercourse slogan gaffe

2024 has been an eventful year, with voters finally kicking out the Tories and ushering in a new era under Keir Starmer.

As you’d expect, there’s been no shortage of controvesy, gaffes and bizarre behaviour along the way. Liz Truss has refused to exit the political scene quietly, while Nigel Farage has shown his prickly side since becoming an MP at his eighth attempt.

Over the past 12 months we’ve seen Rishi Sunak forced to apologise for ‘killing’ Adidas Samba trainers, Kemi Badenoch go to war over sandwiches and Tory hardliners mocked for pretending to be the Mafia.

There’s also been several embarrassing moments for politicians from across the political divide. Here we look at some of our favourite strange political moments of the year.

Truss storms off stage after ‘not funny’ lettuce prank

Liz Truss stormed off stage and fumed “that’s not funny” after jokers unfurled a brutal lettuce banner behind her.

The former Prime Minister, who spectacularly lost her seat at the General Election, was voicing her support for Donald Trump when the stunt unfolded. She was oblivious as the sign, which said “I crashed the economy” appeared behind her, sparking laughter in the audience.

Video shows her predicting Mr Trump would win the Presidential election and hyping up the importance of the economy. She only realised the banner was above her when an anxious-looking man walked onstage and drew her attention to it. The cringeworthy clip captures her fury when she realised what happened.

Rishi Sunak apologises after ‘killing’ Adidas Samba trainers

Rishi Sunak issued a “fulsome apology” to the Adidas Samba community in April after posting a photo of himself wearing the trainers.

The PM was forced to respond to a global wave of ridicule after posting a video on Instagram of him wearing suit trousers, a white shirt and the Adidas fashion trainers.

Fashion and lifestyle magazines including Dazed and GQ respectively said “Rishi has killed Sambas” and asked: “Can Rishi Sunak leave the Adidas Samba alone, please?”

Pressed on the controversy he said: “Well, I issue a fulsome apology to the Samba community. But in my in my defence I would say I have been wearing Adidas and Sambas and others, in fact, for many, many years.”

Reform UK flog ‘Save Britain’ t-shirts made in Bangladesh

There was a triumphant feel at Reform UK’s conference in Birmingham in September. But one very obvious gaffe saw the party flogging t-shirts emblazoned with the words ‘Let’s Save Britain’ – despite being manufactured in Bangladesh.

The £15 shirts were sold at the merchandise stand at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham. Around 4,000 delegates packed into the event, which saw Mr Farage crow about his party’s success.

Boris Johnson pledges to introduce ‘madman’ to Mick Jagger

Argentina’s maverick leader Javier Milei reportedly lobbied Boris Johnson to help him fulfil his dream of meeting Mick Jagger.

The pair met in Buenos Aires in September as Mr Johnson tried to generate publicity for his book. While chatting about Mr Milei’s love of the Rolling Stones, the disgraced former PM made an odd pledge.

Mr Milei – more on him later – has allegedly been trying to meet the band’s frontman for some time, and Mr Johnson reportedly jumped on the opportunity.

Mr Milei later posted Argentinian newspaper articles on his social media mentioning Mr Johnson’s promise to “personally arrange” a meeting with the rock star.

Tory hardliner says fly-tippers should have intestines ripped out

A Tory MP bizarrely called for fly-tippers to be viciously strangled with their ripped out intestines in a bizarre intervention.

Hardliner Sir Desmond Swayne claimed existing punishments don’t go far enough and suggested a more violent approach. He was met with bafflement as he ranted: “The penalties are insufficient. If offenders were garrotted with their own intestines, there would be fewer of them.”

Bemused environment minister Robbie Moore did not rise to the Hannibal Lecter-esque bait – instead saying that £1,000 fines should be enough to deter criminals.

Lee Anderson bottles vote after MPs laughed at him

Former Tory hardman Lee Anderson whined that he couldn’t vote against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda Bill in January – because Labour MPs were laughing at him.

The loudmouth MP, who later defected to Reform UK after being suspended for vile remarks about Sadiq Khan, had days earlier quit as Conservative deputy chairman in protest over the legislation. But when it came to the crunch he didn’t vote against it.

He told GB News: “I got into the no lobby I spent about two or three minutes with a colleague in there. The Labour lot were giggling and laughing and taking the mick and I couldn’t do it. In my heart of hearts I could not vote no.”

Robert Jenrick adopts sex act slogan in leadership race

Robert Jenrick’s Tory leadership campaign distributed hats featuring a very rude slogan – which appears to demand a sex act.

It all started when his team decided to start calling him “Bobby J” – an oblique reference to slain US Presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy’s campaign slogan.

But it appears nobody at the campaign looked up the slang meaning of the term – which online swearing website Urban Dictionary say refers to a sex act.

Kemi Badenoch’s bizarre sandwich rant

One of the strangest admissions of the year came from new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. She claimed “lunch is for wimps” and dismissed sandwiches as “not real food”.

Instead she revealed she has someone bring her a steak while she works. This came as a surprise to Keir Starmer, No10 said, with his spokesman describing sandwiches as a “great British institution”.

Naturally Nigel Farage got involved, posting a picture of himself chomping on a sandwich – which Ms Badenoch dismissed as “soggy”.

Prickly Farage claims he just ‘hopped on pal’s plane’

On the subject of Mr Farage, he’s turned out to be prickly over freebies since becoming an MP.

In September he was pressed after the Register of Members’ Interests showed he’d accepted plane tickets to the US for himself and a staffer, worth a total of £32,836.

But he insisted: “They’re not really gifts, are they? I had a friend going to America, I hopped on the plane. Is that a gift?”

The consensus was that they were.

Liz Truss poses with terrified lamb outside derelict church

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss was mocked after posing with an uncomfortable-looking lamb outside a derelict church in a bizarre Easter message.

The Tory backbencher shared a picture of herself holding the animal outside St Mary’s church in Beachamwell, which was devastated by a blaze two years ago.

Ms Truss, who held the top job between September and October 2022, wrote simply “Happy Easter” as she clung on to the lamb. One commenter responded: “Standing in front of a defunct church holding a poor lamb so badly it’s trying to escape. A metaphor of your mercifully short premiership.”

Boris Johnson speaks to empty room in convention humiliation

Boris Johnson flew to the US to speak to an almost empty room at the Republican National Convention.

Humiliating photos obtained by the Mirror show the former Prime Minister addressing rows of unfilled seats in a hotel ballroom in Milwaukee.

Rishi Sunak made one of the most disastrous election announcements in history on a rainy day outside Downing Street.

The former PM, faced with plummeting ratings and a heap of probelms, threw in the towel in May and announced the UK would go to the polls on July 4. Unfortunately he forgot to bring the towel with him as the heavens opened.

To make matters worse, a loudspeaker on nearby Whitehall blasted out New Labour anthem Things Can Only Get Better as he did it. Pictures of the soaking PM became the defining image of the campaign.

Public call for Arteta to be put in charge of NHS

Wes Streeting and Keir Starmer called for views on how to shake-up the NHS – but may be wishing they didn’t.

The Government launched a “national conversation” on the future of the health service, urging patients, staff and other interested groups to have their say. But officials have been forced to step in after the public came up with some wild ideas – including partnering with Wetherspoons, putting Mikel Arteta in charge and funding services with slot machines.

James Cleverly tells Tories to ‘be more normal’ – but they say no

Following the predictable defeat for the Tories, the party launched a leadership race that felt like it went on forever.

In a plea to members at the party conference in Birmingham, contender James Cleverly said: “Let’s be more normal. Let’s communicate the benefits of Conservatism with a smile. Let’s get back to winning.”

Despite being widely felt to have been the most convincing candidate, MPs rejected his call – knocking him out of the race and setting up a race between Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick.

Grant Shapps uses MOD helicopter like an Uber

Former Tory frontbencher Grant Shapps had an RAF helicopter pick him up from near his home three times in six weeks.

After spotting unusual flight patterns in February, The Mirror revealed the then-Defence Secretary was turning the VIP chopper into “Britain’s most expensive Uber”.

Mr Shapps was criticised for getting RAF pilots to whisk him to engagements in Yorkshire, Manchester and Plymouth. The chopper picked him up from a field near his home.

Keir Starmer in ‘free the sausages’ plea

Keir Starmer faced a different kind of grilling in his first Labour Conference speech as Prime Minister when he accidentally fluffed his prepared comments.

During his speech to the Liverpool ACC, Mr Starmer called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and touched on the escalation of violence in the Middle East.

Speaking about the situation with Hamas still holding a number of hostages after seizing 251 people from Israel and taking them to the Gaza Strip on October 7 last year, Mr Starmer accidentally referred to the hostages as “sausages”.

“I call again for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the return of the sausages – the hostages and a recommitment to the two-state solution: recognised Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.”

Tory abandons bid to be MP after clip saying he ‘never liked’ constituency

Long-time LBC presenter Iain Dale abandoned his bid to become a Tory MP after a clip emerged of him saying he “never liked the place” he hoped to stand.

The radio host decided to throw his hat in the ring to become Conservative candidate for Tunbridge Wells. But he was forced into a U-turn after an old episode of his ‘For the Many’ podcast was unearthed.

In the clip from 2022, he said he lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, “slightly against my will,” as his partner is from there – and would “happily live somewhere else”.

Tories turn into Mafia with ‘five families’

It feels like a long time since the Tories were squabbling about Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan.

But back in January the former PM had a massive headache as he tried to get his divided party to pass new laws overturning a court ruling which torpedoed the scheme. Many right-wingers thought his legislation wasn’t draconian enough.

Up stepped Mark Francois as head of the “five families” – hardline groups in the Tory fold – to try find a solution. Everyone else thought it was hilarious, with Mr Starmer accusing them of “pretending to be in the Mafia”.

Ousted Jacob Rees-Mogg has to stand with baked bean man

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg was one of the many high-profile Tories to lose their seat during a disastrous night for the Conservative Party as Keir Starmer celebrates a Labour landslide.

He was defeated by Labour’s Dan Norris in the new North East Somerset and Hanham constituency, who won 20,739 votes compared to Rees-Mogg’s 15,420.

As the candidates took their places on stage ready for the results to be announced, Rees-Mogg found himself standing next to the Monster Raving Loony Party candidate – Barmy Brunch.

For the occasion, Barmy decided to wear a balaclava printed with a picture of baked beans. Naturally.

Jenrick reveals his daughter’s middle name is Thatcher

The former leadership contender threw some red meat to members by talking about his daughter’s middle name. He voiced his admiration for the Iron Lady, saying he lives in a home filled with “strong women”.

Describing his daughter, Mr Jenrick said: “She was born the year that Margaret Thatcher died. As you know, I respect strong women. In fact, everyone is female at my house.

“I’ve got three daughters, my wife and two dogs, who are both female. I thought it was a good way of reminding her of a great Prime Minister.”

Truss demands British version of chainsaw-wielding ‘madman’ to lead Tories

Liz Truss said she hoped a British version of far-right chainsaw-brandishing Argentine President Javier Milei emerges to save the Tories.

The 49-day PM heaped praise on the Argentine leader, nicknamed “The Madman”, after throwing shade at the current leadership contenders. Ms Truss, who lost her seat to Labour in July, said she would back Milei – whose ideas include legalising the sale of human organs and abolishing Argentina’s central bank – if he stood in the UK.

She told an enthusiastic audience: “I’m a huge fan of Javier Milei. If Milei was standing in the Conservative leadership election I would back him like a shot. That is absolutely what we need.”