The Conservative Party has deleted a bizarre social media post that was widely derided after claiming that Britain is the second most powerful country in the world.
In a post on X/Twitter on Thursday, the Tories said “don’t let the doomsters and naysayers trick you into talking down our country”, with an accompanying montage featuring prime minister Rishi Sunak, the England football team, King Charles III, a fighter jet, a cargo ship and an Aston Martin.
Emblazoned over the graphic is the dubious assertion that “Britain is the second most powerful country in the world”, which combined with the poor quality montage, sparked ridicule online.
The claim is based off the Brand Finance’s 2024 Global Soft Power Index, which ranks Britain second in the world after the United States for “soft power.”
However, this didn’t stop people from mercilessly mocking the social media post, which was swiftly deleted by the Tory party after the backlash.
One X user made reference to difficulties people face getting a GP appointment in the UK, he said: “God I would hate to know how long it takes to get a doctor’s appointment in the third most powerful country in the world.”
And John Nicolson, SNP Shadow Culture Secretary, said: Oh no. The Tories have deleted their propaganda post. Was the King annoyed being used in this way?
“Did the Tories notice they’d forgotten to put any women in it? Or did everyone just laugh at the absurd notion that the UK is the second most powerful country in the world?”
The British Dental Association responded with their own edited montage of a man pulling out his own teeth with pliers.
The post said: “Fixed that for you… If Britain really is the second most powerful country on Earth then why are its citizens resorting to ‘DIY’ dentistry for want of access to basic healthcare?”
