The Prime Minister, David Cameron, has been accused of sending almost identical articles to at least five local newspapers and insincerely declaring his apparent love for each individual part of the country.
In an article for the Yorkshire Post, Tim Richmond explains that in the aftermath of the floods, David Cameron’s PR team sent an article that began with the words ‘I love Yorkshire and the Humber’. The article was designed to promote David Cameron’s personal affection for the area of the country, and his fondness for several of the region’s attractions.
However, rather than publish the article, Mr Richmond explains that the Yorkshire Post were ‘slightly surprised’ at the timing of the ‘very personal’ piece that Mr Cameron had apparently written specifically for their newspaper. Their suspicions were aroused because the PM was, at the time, involved in his highly publicised negotiations with EU leaders ahead of Britain’s EU referendum.
The Yorkshire Post describe the contents of ‘Mr Cameron’s’ article as ‘very formulaic’, lacking ‘in empathy’ and that it ‘only made one passing reference to the misery caused by the Yorkshire floods.’
In the next couple of days, their suspicions were proved right when several other local newspapers began publishing almost identical articles, with a multitude of suspect similarities.
An article for the Plymouth Herald began with ‘I love Cornwall and Isles of Scilly’. An article for the Newcastle Chronicle began with the words ‘I love Northumberland’, and the same in the Lincolnshire Echo – ‘I love Lincolnshire’.
The disturbing similarities did not end there. For Cornwall, ‘Mr Cameron’ wrote “From their stunning beaches and coastal walks to their creative arts projects, this county is one of the many jewels in Great Britain’s crown.”
For the North-East, he wrote “From Hadrian’s Wall to Europe’s biggest sky park, this county is one of the many jewels in Great Britain’s crown.”
And for Lincolnshire, the PM wrote “From the quaint market towns to the rolling countryside, this county is one of the many jewels in Great Britain’s crown.”
In Mr Cameron’s article for the Eastern Daily Press, he also declared his ‘love’ for Norfolk by mistaking Holkham Beach for the Devonshire beach of Holcombe.
Yorkshire Post Journalist, Tim Richmond, described Mr Cameron’s unashamedly insincere articles as having ‘all the hallmarks of a carpet-bomb PR drop’.
