Trade Minister’s PM Bid Hits Bumpy Patch Over Campaign Video
The race for Downing Street got off to a rocky start for the international trade minister on Sunday morning. She threw her hat in the ring to become prime minister, insisting the UK’s leadership “needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship.”
Campaign Video Sparks Backlash
Her initial campaign video included a brief two-second clip of Paralympic star Jonnie Peacock sprinting at the 2012 London Games. Peacock wasn’t having it. He swiftly took to Twitter, demanding, “I officially request to be removed from this video. Please, nothing blue.”
Quick Video Overhaul
Not wasting time, the minister released a revamped version five hours later. The Jonnie Peacock footage was swapped out for a plane soaring overhead. But that wasn’t the only change:
- A smiling police officer was replaced by a tractor rumbling through a field.
- Cricketer Jonny Bairstow vanished, replaced by the iconic Angel of the North sculpture.
- Welsh football celebrations marking a June victory were cut entirely.
- A clip of soldiers in non-British military uniform gave way to footage of Westminster.
- The face of Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine co-developer, was swapped for more generic healthcare worker shots.
The minister’s video revamp shows how tricky it is to craft a perfect campaign image that wins over the public — and even famous faces.
