David Cameron has been accused of touting a series of almost identical articles to local newspapers around the UK in an attempted PR “carpet bombing” of the country outside London.
The Yorkshire Post refused to publish what was billed as a “very personal” opinion piece by the prime minister.
The paper said it discovered tweaked versions of the same piece had been sent to several other regional titles as part of what it called a “sham media operation”.
The prime minister’s piece began with the words “I love Yorkshire & the Humber” and was designed to highlight some of the region’s attractions as part of English Tourism week.
In an editorial, the Yorkshire Post explains that a Downing Street press officer telephoned to offer the “very personal” piece but when the column arrived, doubts arose over how genuine it was.
“It appeared very formulaic, lacked empathy and only made passing reference to the misery caused by the Yorkshire floods,” the editorial says.
Then the newspaper discovered other regional and local publications had run remarkably similar pieces.
The Herald, Plymouth’s newspaper, published a piece from Cameron which began with the words: “I love Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.” The Newcastle Chronicle carried a piece that started: “I love Northumberland.” And the same in the Lincolnshire Echo: “I love Lincolnshire.”
For the south-west audience, the PM wrote of Cornwall: “From their stunning beaches and coastal walks to their creative arts projects, this county is one of the many jewels in Great Britain’s crown.”
For the north-east: “From Hadrian’s Wall to Europe’s biggest sky park, this county is one of the many jewels in Great Britain’s crown.”
For Lincolnshire, the PM said: “From the quaint market towns to the rolling countryside, this county is one of the many jewels in Great Britain’s crown.”
The Yorkshire Post acknowledges that the prime minister was not likely to be aware that this was happening in his name – but refused to run his article.
The paper was also angered because it had sent a number of questions to the PM to answer in the wake of the floods that hit the region, but six weeks later had yet to receive a response.
The newspaper, which backed five more years of a Tory-Lib Dem coalition ahead of last year’s general election, has received widespread support on Twitter for refusing to run the article.
Good on @yorkshirepost. Not easy for a regional newspaper to turn down an op-Ed from the PM, regardless of reasoninf https://t.co/zfjpFZjTcl
— Mike Bird (@Birdyword) March 12, 2016
Bravo @yorkshirepost for calling B.S on @David_Cameron PR article about how he loves Yorkshire, declining to publish https://t.co/HylxpMbMs5
— Toby Harnden (@tobyharnden) March 12, 2016
'We chose to spike Mr Cameron’s article on editorial grounds'. Yorkshire Post having a good time here.https://t.co/4OGPZgH2HQ
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) March 12, 2016
Proud of @yorkshirepost for standing up against the PMs insincere and copy & pasted love letter to Yorkshire https://t.co/e2uolRBxr4
— Rachel Reeves (@RachelReevesMP) March 12, 2016
@ExpressandStar I hope you were offered "why I love the Black Country"! https://t.co/mjKICgMSpS
— tom_watson (@tom_watson) March 12, 2016
