Bad-mouthing the PM, or, Who's telling porkies?

A few years ago Lord Ashcroft, a wealthy supporter of the Conservative party, donated a lot of money to assist in the election campaign. He hoped to be given ministerial office as a reward. When it failed to come through, he resorted to writing a book about the Prime Minister and its publication this week, serialised in the Daily Mail, has included some fascinating insights into the early political life of our leader.

A distinguished Oxford contemporary claims Cameron once took part in an outrageous initiation ceremony at a Piers Gaveston event, involving a dead pig. His extraordinary suggestion is that the future PM inserted a private part of his anatomy into the animal’s mouth.

and

The setting was ... one of the finest quadrangles in Oxford’s Christ Church college. Often, the trio would be listening to the Seventies rock band Supertramp, and bantering inconsequentially about their love lives while getting stoned.

I am shocked. Shocked. To think that a man who regularly briefs the Queen on the management of her government could listen to Supertramp. I heard one of their records in the mid 70s and stopped listening after a few minutes and never heard them again.

As to the other revelations - well, the pig didn't mind, Cameron presumably didn't mind and it's going to keep the gag-writers and punsters happy for a while. And it probably isn't true, given the anonymity of the source and the weasel phrase "claims". I mean, I could "claim" that Lord Ashcroft got his money through crime, fraudulent accounting and the vilest forms of abuse of power. Has the noble Lord denied this claim? Must be guilty then.