Kama Sutra Keir relies on familiar political joke

It's 1 of the oldest and corniest of each governmental jokes. And determination were groans arsenic good arsenic laughs erstwhile Kama Sutra Keir taunted Kemi Badenoch with it successful the Commons.

Mocking the Tories for changing premier ministers and different apical posts, the PM declared successful an effort astatine raunchy humour: "They had much positions successful 14 years than the Kama Sutra."

For those who don't know, the Kama Sutra is an past Hindu usher connected enactment positions, the creation of emotion and spirituality. Erotic, its supporters claim. Smutty, according to prudes.

But if Sir Keir turning the aerial bluish sounded familiar, that's due to the fact that it is. It's a dreadful gag that's been cracked 33 times by elder politicians successful parliament successful caller years, according to Hansard.

It's been utilized by the Conservatives against Sir Keir himself, by erstwhile Tory leaders Sir Iain Duncan Smith and William Hague against Tony Blair and by ex-deputy PM Sir Nick Clegg against his Tory conjugation spouse George Osborne.

Most recently, it was utilized past July by then-Commons person Lucy Powell, present Labour's lawman leader, against her Tory shadow, the posh Etonian Jesse Norman.

In a virtually identical taunt astir Tory U-turns to that employed by Sir Keir to Mrs Badenoch, Ms Powell said: "In 14 years they person had much positions than the Kama Sutra."

But successful 2021, Tory seat Amanda Milling mocked Sir Keir: "He points antithetic ways depending connected which time it is, changing presumption much often than the Kama Sutra to pursuit headlines and play politics."

A twelvemonth earlier, successful the 2020 Commons Brexit wars, Remainer Tom Tugendhat told MPs wearily: "After years of acrimony and anger, it is clip to extremity the law Kama Sutra."

In 2013, erstwhile helium was a conjugation minister, Sir Vince Cable mocked Labour's Ed Balls, telling MPs: "The shadiness chancellor has had much positions connected the system than determination are positions successful the Kama Sutra."

Back successful 2008, earlier they sat successful David Cameron's furniture together, Clegg utilized the jibe against Osborne astir the Northern Rock banking situation successful his Lib Dem league speech, claiming: "George Osborne has had much positions than the Kama Sutra."

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In 2005, by past nary longer Tory leader, IDS goaded Blair astatine PMQs: "The premier curate has been against Europe and past for it. He has been for the lb and past against it. He has been against a referendum and past for it.

"The premier curate has taken much positions than the Kama Sutra."

Later connected the aforesaid day, Hague, his predecessor arsenic Tory leader, followed up: "I judge the premier curate is present connected his seventh argumentation successful 18 months connected the question of holding a referendum connected the European constitution.

"(He) compared it astatine Prime Minister's Questions to the Kama Sutra, but adjacent with each the premier minister's skills of ambiguity, his endemic contortions and U-turns, helium is not rather successful that category."

Other existent MPs who person recited the gag successful parliament see Labour's Peter Dowd and Tory George Freeman. Peers see the distinguished lawyers Lords Pannick and Lester of Herne Hill.

It's specified an aged joke, and it divides opinion. Some reports claimed the effort by Kama Stra Keir astatine bawdy humour had MPs successful hysterics. Others claimed it flopped.

They bash accidental that erstwhile it comes to jokes, the aged ones are the best. Not the Kama Sutra joke, however.