James Cleverly was left squirming this morning after a Tory video showed the Union Jack flying upside down - often seen as a distress signal.
The home secretary denied the embarrassing blunder was a gaffe and said there was no need for them to re-shoot it.
Social media users were quick to pounce on the mistake when the Conservatives’ first party political broadcast of the election campaign went live.
On Sky News this morning, Cleverly said: “When you put out a campaign video, you get criticism. It’s what happens.”
Presenter Kay Burley replied: “But we’re talking about the flag. Did you notice anything wrong with it?”
Cleverly said: “I noticed it when it was highlighted to me. When I watched the video I was concentrating on our commitment to defence.”
When Burley asked him what was wrong with it, the home secretary said: “The video’s obviously been transposed and flown upside down.
“The majority of that video is about our commitment to defence spending, about putting more police on the beat, about protecting the British people.”
Burley told him: “But we know that a flag flying upside down means what?”
Cleverly replied: “No it doesn’t, this is complete nonsense.”
The presenter hit back: “It doesn’t mean a distress signal? I did check with top brass and they told me it did.”
Asked if they would re-cut the video, Cleverly said: “I don’t think that’s worth re-doing a whole video over.”
It is just the latest gaffe to hit the Tories’ misfiring election campaign.
Rishi Sunak was embarrassingly photo-bombed by a boatful of Lib Dems yesterday as he carried out a campaign visit.
Meanwhile, his latest TikTok was widely mocked for featuring a blank page backdrop - allowing the Labour Party to use it to plug their own policies.