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| Cameron caught making 'people in Yorkshire hate each other' jibe | Cameron caught making 'people in Yorkshire hate each other' jibe |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| David Cameron has been recorded making a bizarre dig at people from Yorkshire, suggesting they hate each other as well as the rest of the country. | |
| The prime minister’s comment – which he has since said was a joke – was picked up by a microphone as he appeared to be rehearsing his lines while backstage at a speech in Leeds on Friday. | The prime minister’s comment – which he has since said was a joke – was picked up by a microphone as he appeared to be rehearsing his lines while backstage at a speech in Leeds on Friday. |
| On the recording, released by the BBC, he was discussing opportunities for devolution when an unidentified male voice says: “The fact is there will be some devolution coming to Yorkshire. But what form that takes ...” | On the recording, released by the BBC, he was discussing opportunities for devolution when an unidentified male voice says: “The fact is there will be some devolution coming to Yorkshire. But what form that takes ...” |
| Cameron quipped back: “We just thought people in Yorkshire hated everyone else, we didn’t realise they hated each other so much.” After which, laughter can be heard. | Cameron quipped back: “We just thought people in Yorkshire hated everyone else, we didn’t realise they hated each other so much.” After which, laughter can be heard. |
| Downing Street has not explained the comments, but he was defended by Andrew Percy, the Conservative MP for Brigg and Goole, who said Cameron was not “slagging off” the region because it was true that local politicians are “fighting like cats in a sack over devolution”. | Downing Street has not explained the comments, but he was defended by Andrew Percy, the Conservative MP for Brigg and Goole, who said Cameron was not “slagging off” the region because it was true that local politicians are “fighting like cats in a sack over devolution”. |
| Later, Cameron claimed the remark was “a total joke, but it’s been picked up and I expect I will be getting a bit of gyp for this”. He was later pictured alongside Yorkshire cricket club president and former umpire, Dickie Bird, and Geoffrey Boycott, the former England and Yorkshire opening batsman, watching England’s one-day international against Australia at Headingley. | |
| Speaking on BBC Radio’s Test Match Special, the prime minister said: “I was picked up saying something this morning which wasn’t meant to be heard – there were five or six proposals for devolution in Yorkshire, and I said to an aide that I thought Yorkshiremen had it in for other people rather than each other, clearly as a joke. But I’ve been absolved by two of the greatest living Yorkshiremen – Geoffrey [Boycott] and Dickie Bird both agreed it was a joke.” | Speaking on BBC Radio’s Test Match Special, the prime minister said: “I was picked up saying something this morning which wasn’t meant to be heard – there were five or six proposals for devolution in Yorkshire, and I said to an aide that I thought Yorkshiremen had it in for other people rather than each other, clearly as a joke. But I’ve been absolved by two of the greatest living Yorkshiremen – Geoffrey [Boycott] and Dickie Bird both agreed it was a joke.” |
| Cameron’s comments are likely to have been a reference to the devolution deals offered by George Osborne’s “northern powerhouse” scheme. | Cameron’s comments are likely to have been a reference to the devolution deals offered by George Osborne’s “northern powerhouse” scheme. |
| The Leeds city region, which is bidding to join Manchester in getting new devolved powers, is controversial. A deal would also cover York and other parts of rural North Yorkshire, which have distinctly different regional identities to the West Yorkshire city. | The Leeds city region, which is bidding to join Manchester in getting new devolved powers, is controversial. A deal would also cover York and other parts of rural North Yorkshire, which have distinctly different regional identities to the West Yorkshire city. |
| This week, North Yorkshire county council put a spanner in the works of the bid, effectively refusing to allow towns under its remit to be part of the Leeds City Region. | This week, North Yorkshire county council put a spanner in the works of the bid, effectively refusing to allow towns under its remit to be part of the Leeds City Region. |
| Peter Box, leader of Wakefield council and chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said Cameron’s comment was a joke. | Peter Box, leader of Wakefield council and chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said Cameron’s comment was a joke. |
| Box, who is involved in the devolution bid from the Leeds City Region, said the joke stemmed from the high number of devolution bids entered from across Yorkshire. He said: “He was using the fact that there were so many bids from Yorkshire to try to make a joke.” | Box, who is involved in the devolution bid from the Leeds City Region, said the joke stemmed from the high number of devolution bids entered from across Yorkshire. He said: “He was using the fact that there were so many bids from Yorkshire to try to make a joke.” |
| “There is rivalry between Yorkshire. There’s always been rivalry. The reason I found it quite amusing is there’s some truth in it. We’re quite tribal, we’re competitive within Yorkshire, let alone with the rest of the country,” he added. | |
| “I’m a Yorkshireman, I’m proud of being from Yorkshire, I think we’re the best county in the world, but I’m not going to criticise David Cameron over what was meant to be a joke.” | |
| Jon Trickett, the Labour MP for Hemsworth, said Cameron appeared tohave mistaken Yorkshire plain-speaking for people hating each other, when it fact there is a huge sense of community and friendliness. He said there also seemed to be “a bit of snobbery” about the remarks. | |
| “He’s talking about Yorkshire as if it was somewhere alien rather than part of his own country,” he said. | |
| Diana Johnson, Labour MP for Hull North and shadow Home Office minister, said: “I think the whole problem with the devolution debate is that Whitehall has imposed the idea of an elected mayor as the only structure you can have. | |
| “It’s David Cameron’s doing that. There’s different views in Yorkshire about the moment about what we would like to do. If we were really given a free hand, we might come up with something really interesting and good for Yorkshire. | |
| “I think people will think it’s typical David Cameron who doesn’t understand about areas in the north. They will just put it down to that. It reinforces the view that he doesn’t really understand the north. Some people will take it as a bit of a joke but I think underlying it says something.” | |
| Mary Creagh, Labour MP for Wakefield, shadow international development secretary and former leadership contender, said Cameron’s comments were “like the lord of the manor sneering at the serfs”. | |
| Creagh added: “He has already been no friend of the north and the mask has slipped. He cut councils spending in the most deprived places in the north and Midlands ten times more than the least deprived, and cancelled rail electriciation. | |
| “There are now difficult questions around devolution and ones where the government ought to be providing leadership. The tone was wrong and actions speak louder than words. It will have come as no surprise to my constituents in Wakefield who have borne the brunt of policies for a long time.” |