Tom Tugendhat’s Tory leadership campaign mocked for ‘Turd’ acronym
Political leaders have often used acronyms to summarize their ideologies, such as Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" (Maga) and Margaret Thatcher's "There is No Alternative" (Tina). Tom Tugendhat recently created his own unintentional acronym with just four letters: Turd.
The Conservative candidate trying to become the party leader used the slogan "Let's work together, Bring the party together. Restore faith. Beat the Labour party" when he announced his campaign on Wednesday. A visual breakdown of the slogan was displayed on his campaign website.
Sharp-eyed users on social media noticed that the initial letter of every line formed the word Turd.
On Thursday morning, the message was revised to: "When we work together, we can unite the party, regain trust, and reclaim the country."
Insiders from the ex-security minister's team informed the Telegraph that they frequently change online graphics to perfect the imagery and messaging at the beginning of a campaign. They clarified that this alteration had no connection to the accidental acronym.
On Wednesday, Tugendhat, a member of the Conservative Party, announced his intention to run for leadership, following in the footsteps of former home secretary James Cleverly. Tugendhat, associated with the One Nation faction of the party, seemed to appeal to the more conservative members in a column where he stated his willingness to withdraw from the European convention on human rights (ECHR).
In October, he warned that exiting the convention could impact the Good Friday agreement, the Windsor framework, and the devolved administrations.
In an interview with GB News, Tugendhat mentioned that he has a history of completing tasks for the people in the UK. He refuted the claim that his shift in stance on the ECHR was driven by political gain, stating: "No, I have clearly stated that I am willing to make any choice that prioritizes the safety of the British people."
The ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick officially entered his nomination on Thursday.
The party announced its schedule for the extended leadership competition on Monday, saying that nominations will end next week. Tory MPs will then select four candidates in September, who will have the opportunity to present their case to party members at the conference in October.
