Jeremy Hunt may not be Britain’s new prime minister, but he has received an alternative prize.
The University of Reading has named its new baby llama Jeremy after the Tory leadership runner-up following a “contest that's gripped a nation”.
The university launched a 24-hour Twitter poll on Monday, asking the public to choose between Boris and Jeremy for the name for its “fluffy boy”.
And while Boris Johnson stormed to victory in the Conservative Party leadership race – beating his rival by 92,153 votes to 46,656 – Mr Hunt enjoyed his own landslide victory.
Jeremy trumped Boris in the llama poll stakes by 69 per cent to 31 per cent.
“And the winner is..... JEREMY!” the university tweeted on Tuesday.
“You literally voted in your hundreds to name our fluffy boy who will now prance wildly back to his herd to declare the good news. Or munch on some grass. Y'know, whatever llamas do.”
The university uses adult llamas to produce antibodies, which it describes as “crucial to an innovative new area of medical research for research.”
A spokesman told the Standard: “Our online naming poll may have been a bit of fun, but it has highlighted the vital work our pharmacists are doing to learn more about the nanobodies which are found in llamas.
“These nanobodies mean that a whole new breed of medicines can be developed to tackle diseases such as cancers and arthritis, which previously have been difficult to treat with normal drugs.
“Thank you to everyone who took part in our poll, and we look forward to updating you on Jeremy’s progress in the future,” they added.
