Tory Party Chair Leaves Twitter Bewildered With His Attempt To Mock Keir Starmer

"This isn't the flex CCHQ thinks it is."
Greg Hands tried to mock Sir Keir Starmer – and failed, miserably
Greg Hands tried to mock Sir Keir Starmer – and failed, miserably
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Greg Hands left people scratching their heads when he posted a video on Twitter trying to show up Keir Starmer – and failed, miserably.

The Conservative Party chair shared a 14-second video on Twitter on Thursday lunchtime showing the Labour Party leader arriving to campaign in the Selby and Ainsty by-election.

It comes after the Tory MP Nigel Adams resigned earlier this month. As a long-standing ally of Boris Johnson, he was expected to received a peerage in the ex-PM’s resignation honours but didn’t make the final cut.

When Starmer, deputy leader Angela Rayner and their team arrived at Selby train station, Conservative campaigners appeared to have arranged an ambush for them.

″Welcome to Selby, Sir Keir,” the Tories cheered, laughing and clapping as they spotted him.

But, the Labour leader looked far from taken aback. He just walked over to greet them, and the two groups seem to have an amicable exchange.

When Hands shared the footage on Twitter, though, he said: “North London Leftie lawyer and top flip-flopper Sir Keir is one of the Conservatives’ trump cards in the Selby By-Election!”

“Welcome to Selby, Sir Keir!” exclaim dozens of Conservatives at Selby station to visiting Sir Keir Starmer.

North London Leftie lawyer and top flip-flopper Sir Keir is one of the @conservatives trump cards in the Selby By-Election! pic.twitter.com/zTUg6lJIBG

— Greg Hands (@GregHands) June 29, 2023

Understandably, Twitter was pretty confused over the point of the tweet, noting there didn’t seem to be any “gotcha” in the video (or the caption) at all...

Do northerners not want their kids to become lawyers? I don’t get this attack at all. Are we saying working down t’ mill or whatever is the ceiling?

Also: loads of Tory MPs are barristers https://t.co/OKc0HTtbCH

— Rachel Wearmouth (@REWearmouth) June 29, 2023

I don't understand what's going on here. What's the theory of why this stunt and this clip of this stunt either a) makes the Tories look good; or b) makes Labour look bad? https://t.co/D8HNklfRRf

— Tom Hamilton (@thhamilton) June 29, 2023

Others reminded Hands that he, too, is a London MP...

Don’t know why Greg Hands is using North London to insult Starmer when he himself represents the richest part of London in Parliament https://t.co/BlvAuI3uUp

— Will (@willglloyd) June 29, 2023

The North London dig is always rubbish, but it's particularly ridiculous coming from the MP for *Chelsea and Fulham* https://t.co/u7mZbwY6V3

— Alexander Brown (@AlexofBrown) June 29, 2023

And plenty said it just showed Starmer in an even better light.

This clip is magnificent. It does everything it's not supposed to. It shows Starmer is human and has a sense of humour, and that Greg Hands is clueless. https://t.co/k1lz8veBED

— JWExTheSpa (@SpaJw) June 29, 2023

It seems pretty good natured all round. No abuse from the Tory activists and a suitably well-mannered response from Starmer. Not sure why Greg is trying to turn it into anything more than that.

— Alex (@themralex6) June 29, 2023

This isn't the flex CCHQ thinks it is. For the love of God, give us some grown-up politics, and good people to deliver for them at the very, very top: i.e: a great leader who will take people with them.

End the student politicking and face up to the problems we're all staring in… https://t.co/aaX52ZyRpi

— Ɽ Ø ฿ Ɇ Ɽ ₮ (@PegasusPrince2) June 29, 2023

Recently someone ask me: “what has happened to Greg Hands? He was one of the normal ones.”

I sort of think he still is. That he is so unprecedentedly terrible is to his great credit. https://t.co/asjjYDWUqw

— Tom Peck (@tompeck) June 29, 2023

Greg Hands confirms that Keir Starmer a) uses the train like a normal person, as opposed to a helicopter like his Tory counterpart, b) is happy to have an affable chat with his political opponents, and c) represents a London seat just like, er, Greg Hands. Is he working for us? https://t.co/vxwZx0CGjp

— Duncan Hothersall (@dhothersall) June 29, 2023

Best part of this video is Starmer still approached them and says hello, makes a mockery of Sunak and his strategy https://t.co/66lQqmHLAD

— Shane Levitt (@ShaneLevitt11) June 29, 2023

Other people just joked that this was a sign the seat was going to be passed over to Labour.

For international observers, this welcome reception for the Leader of the Opposition by the governing party is an example of historic British by-election tradition known as "The Changing of the Guard". https://t.co/jjDNqRLWiw

— Tom Wilson 🇺🇦 (@feedthedrummer) June 29, 2023
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