Therese Coffey Made A Gaffe For The Ages During The Rwanda Bill Debate

Unfortunately one which will live forever in Hansard, too.
LOADINGERROR LOADING

Therese Coffey made quite the geographical blunder in the Commons when MPs were debating the Safety of Rwanda Bill.

“It’s important to speak in this bill today,” the Tory backbencher began, before immediately launching into an attack on Labour.

Coffey, who was the deputy PM under Liz Truss, said: “I have to say I’m quite astonished by the speech by the shadow home secretary, who can’t even get the name of the country right, talking about the Kigali government.

“Rwanda is a respected country that has recently been president of the Commonwealth.”

Labour’s frontbenchers, Yvette Cooper and Stephen Kinnock, exchanged a wry smile at that – because Kigali is, of course, the capital of Rwanda and the country’s largest city.

It is common practice to refer to a national government by talking about the capital of the country.

And, when Rwanda hosted the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in 2022, leaders were welcomed in... Kigali.

In case you were wondering, Coffey also ended up voting in favour for the government’s controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to the east African country despite not knowing its capital.

Watch the painful clip for yourself here:

Couldn’t quite believe this but here it is, in all its excruciating glory. https://t.co/mrZJEeC9ii pic.twitter.com/ToIfGpE2ss

— Thomas Ingleson-Grey (@inglesongrey) January 17, 2024

You can imagine how well the clip went down on social media, too...

Does Coffey seriously not know? https://t.co/On7veXl94t

— Jessica Simor KC (@JMPSimor) January 18, 2024

This is literally unbelievable https://t.co/a1VMFCjxrM

— Kevin Schofield (@KevinASchofield) January 17, 2024

Until recently a senior cabinet member, Coffey doesn’t even know that Kigali is the capital of Rwanda.

Of course this is embarrassing but it also demonstrates the absurdity of the policy

How much do the Tories know about Rwanda if they can’t even place it’s capital? https://t.co/FkdpvjmKqP

— Green💚🌻Molly (@GreenPartyMolly) January 18, 2024

.@SKinnock's face is a picture at the end of this clip. He can't quite believe what he's heard. https://t.co/cxLkreI54D

— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) January 17, 2024

Oh Jesus Christ https://t.co/NAEuRXSA3c

— Otto English (@Otto_English) January 17, 2024

Historians will wonder how on earth people who are just not very bright became so powerful in the land …. They are unfit for opposition let alone government https://t.co/jjmhQ4LzSi

— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) January 18, 2024

Wow - Kigali is the capital of Rwanda

The faces on the Labour front bench… pic.twitter.com/wFkbQVCY3R

— Shehab Khan ITV (@ShehabKhan) January 17, 2024
Close

What's Hot