The general election campaign is in full swing with party leaders travelling across the country announcing policies and speaking to voters.
Over the past two weeks, there has been no shortage of gaffes and blunders, particularly from prime minister Rishi Sunak.
It has left Baroness Ruth Davidson, the former Scottish Conservative leader, wondering whether a mole had been planted inside the Tories communications team to sabotage Mr Sunak.
From being soaked outside Number 10 as he called the snap election without an umbrella, to being asked if he was captaining a “sinking ship” when he visited Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, the PM’s campaign has been far from ideal.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has also had his fair share of blunders. He has been spotted falling off a paddleboard, riding a waterslide in a rubber ring and skidding down a hill on a bike – all as part of his campaign trail.
With 30 days until voters head to the polls, party communications teams will be hoping to avoid any more slip ups.
The Independent has put together the best gaffes and blunders from the election campaign below.
Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party
‘Things can only get wetter’: Sunak drenched as he announces election
The campaign hadn’t even begun when the prime minister made his first mistake – swapping the £2.6 million Downing Street press briefing room for the Great British Outdoors.
Heavy rain poured down on the prime minister, who spoke from a lectern outside No 10 without an umbrella.
Labour’s 1997 theme Things Can Only Get Better by D:Ream was blasted from a speaker, drowning out Mr Sunak’s attempts to boast of his inflation achievements.
Mr Sunak, wearing a suit with a light blue tie, became increasingly soaked during the speech.
A few days later, the PM admitted he “was a bit wet” during the announcement.
Own goal at Welsh brewery over national team’s Euros absence
One day into the election trail, Mr Sunak asked staff at a brewery in Barry, South Wales, if they were looking forward to this summer’s football, despite the national team not qualifiying for the Euros.
But one of the pub workers was quick to correct him on his mishap, following Wales’s play-off final defeat to Poland in March.
He interjected and said “Only if you support England!”, to which Mr Sunak awkwardly replied the hospitality industry was one the Conservatives supported.
Captain of a “sinking ship” at the Titanic Quarter
The prime minister faced another blunder when asked by a reporter whether he was captaining a “sinking ship” during a visit to Northern Ireland’s Titanic Quarter.
The unfortunate question was asked when Mr Sunak visited Artemis Technologies, a local company which manufactures zero-emissions maritime technology with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris.
“Are you captaining a sinking ship going into this election?” the reporter asked.
To which an irked Sunak replied: “If you look at what’s happened over the past few weeks, you can see our plan is working.”
Mr Heaton-Harris, who was standing right next to the PM, could be seen struggling to contain his grin.
Questioned by a Tory councillor
In one of the first Q&A events at a distribution centre in Derbyshire, the PM took questions from supposedly random workers.
Speaking to around 50 people, he was asked about his flagship plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
He was told that the “biggest issue is going to be immigration over this election campaign” before he was asked whether “your Rwanda plan is going to see results and stop the small boats coming?”
Broadcasters showed Prime Minister thanking the man for his “important question.”
It later emerged the question had come from Conservative Leicestershire County councillor Ross Hills.
Sunak stands below an exit sign
On a flight to a campaign event two days into the election campaign, Mr Sunak suffered an unfortunate blunder when he was snapped standing underneath an exit sign.
‘Blank page’ Labour attack backfires
The Labour Party turned an attempt by Mr Sunak to mock them into a viral post that looks like he is endorsing them.
The Tories’ latest post on TikTok shows the prime minister explaining “Labour’s policy for our country’s future” on a flipchart.
The short video sees him turn over the cover to show a blank page, before capping a pen in his hand, placing it down and walking off-camera.
But Labour’s social media team were quick to hit back at the video with an edited version that showed Sir Keir Starmer’s “first steps for change” on the flipchart.
The Labour Party post has now received over 2.4 million views on X and a further 308,000 on TikTok.
Union Jack flag flying upside down
In the Conservative Party’s first election broadcast, the Union Jack depicted flying upside down.
The prime minister’s video pointed to uncertain times fuelled by “pandemic, war in Europe and the Middle East, a reckless dictator in Russia… China”.
“We face unprecedented challenges here at home because of global insecurity, but by sticking with the plan Rishi Sunak is steadying the ship and making progress,” a deep-voiced narrator says over footage of the PM working.
But, just minutes after the video was released, it was pointed out that perhaps the most striking part of the video is a shot of the UK’s flag upside down.
Sunak photobombed by Lib Dems boat
The prime minister was photobombed by Liberal Democrats campaigners on a boat as he spoke to rowers in Oxfordshire on Monday.
The prime minister was visiting a riverside rowing club as Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper and a group of activists rode past on the water holding orange diamond-shaped voting placards. Campaigners could be seen waving at the PM.
Of the stunt, a Lib Dem source told media: “This is just another small boat Rishi Sunak can’t deal with.”
Grant Shapps hangs up phone live on TV when asked about losing his seat
Defence secretary Grant Shapps hung up the phone during a live interview when he was asked about losing his seat in the upcoming general election.
A YouGov survey suggested the defence secretary could be voted out of parliament along with many of his Conservative colleagues.
While presenting the polls’ results on Sky News on Monday deputy political editor Sam Coates spotted Shapps was calling him.
The camera kept rolling as Coates answered and said: “Hello Grant Shapps, you’re live on Sky News.
“I’m in the studio with Sophy Ridge. Have you seen you’re about to lose your seat, according to the Sky News-YouGov projection?”
There was a moment’s silence before the phone emitted a few beeps, meaning Shapps was no longer there.
Ed Davey and the Liberal Democrats
Ed Davey falls into Lake Windermere
Sir Ed Davey took a dive into Lake Windermere while paddleboarding as he outlined his party’s plan to tackle the sewage crisis.
Local Lib Dem candidate Tim Farron joined his party leader at Low Wood Bay Watersports Centre where the pair had mixed success, being pictured taking multiple plunges.
During his visit to the Lake District, Sir Ed said local environmental experts should be represented on water companies’ boards to ensure sewage spills are taken seriously, as he accused Conservative ministers of “sitting on their hands”.
Rubber ring on waterslide
The Lib Dem leader slid down a waterslide riding a rubber ring as the party campaigned about children’s mental health on Thursday, 30 May.
He wore swimming shorts and a T-shirt to ride down the Ultimate Slip n Slide attraction near Frome, Somerset.
Defending the stunt, Sir Ed said: “Politicians need to take the concerns and interests of voters seriously but I’m not sure they need to take themselves seriously all the time and I’m quite happy to have some fun.”
Sir Ed’s Frome and East Somerset visit was to support the campaign of his party’s candidate Anna Sabine and highlight their pledge to improve mental health support for young people.
