#CurseDavidCameron trends as PM admits to profiting from Panama fund
Hundreds of sarcastic “curses” appeared on social media as speculation on David Cameron’s involvement in the Panama scandal swirled. As the leak began to lose steam, the PM admitted to benefiting from his father’s offshore fund. Result: Twitter meltdown.
The British people got the answer they have been waiting for in an ITV interview aired on Thursday, when Cameron finally admitted to profiting from his late father’s Blairmore Investment Trust.
The confession came five days after leaked documents (named the Panama Papers) revealed the names of tax avoiders from all over the world, Ian Cameron being one.
READ MORE: ‘Panama Papers’ turn up names of rogue US execs
Cameron, however, claims that he sold all of the 5,000 shares he and his wife had owned in the Blairmore Investment Trust back in 2010 – before becoming prime minister. He said that the shares had been worth £30,000 (about $42,000). The PM added that he had received £300,000 in inheritance back in 2010 when his father died, but can’t be sure of where all the money came from:
“I obviously can’t point to every source of every bit of the money and dad's not around for me to ask the questions now.”
The PM admitted to having had “a difficult few days” lately. Well, bad luck, Dave. Seems that these days have only just begun.
David Cameron, reading the #cursedavidcameron hashtag... pic.twitter.com/Ij7YQ1813d
— Sam Vimes (@SamVimes6) 7 апреля 2016 г.
The confession quickly backfired on Twitter, with ordinary users, activists, and celebrities using the #CurseDavidCameron hashtag to mock the PM on a number of issues, including corruption and offshores. On a less serious side, many also wished him nasty things and trolled his alleged “love” of pigs.
The number of #CurseDavidCameron tweets has increased by roughly 29% in two hours. The sort of return you'd get in a tax haven..
— Erekosë (@scytheanon) 7 апреля 2016 г.
Some took the opportunity to call out Cameron and the UK’s parliament for hypocrisy:
Remember when you said "that is not fair, that is not right" Dave? I do #DavidCameron#CurseDavidCameron#Blairmorepic.twitter.com/XtcvSYzP8x
— Nargess Moballeghi (@JournoNargess) 7 апреля 2016 г.
George - please have a word with your boss about this.
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) 7 апреля 2016 г.
Thanks.#CurseDavidCameron#TaxHavenspic.twitter.com/EkRl3ny0Mv
Some wished their greatest evils on the prime minister… the British way. Sometimes it got pretty serious:
May all your biscuits be broken, your tea be weak and your milk at least a month old #CurseDavidCameron
— ladeeda (@notsoshouty) 7 апреля 2016 г.
#CurseDavidCameron
— Pretty Hat Machine (@PrettyHatMech) 7 апреля 2016 г.
May all his affairs, financial or otherwise be public knowledge.
May you be forced to rent from a private landlord #CurseDavidCameron
— Nancy Campbell (@Nancy_campbell1) 7 апреля 2016 г.
May you have to wait for an operation because you can't afford to go private #CurseDavidCameron
— Sue Crocombe (@shinybluedress) 7 апреля 2016 г.
#CurseDavidCameron
— Will Black (@WillBlackWriter) 7 апреля 2016 г.
May your children grow up to be socialists and give all your money away to refugee charities and rough sleepers
Many avoided using strong words, turning the whole thing into a priceless show of dry British humour:
#CurseDavidCameron "may the milk in your tea forever curdle,also stop giving #Corbyn grief about his suit" #Politicspic.twitter.com/BTvzTSkocq
— Daniel Wright (@danielmwright) 7 апреля 2016 г.
May all of your plugs be the wrong way up on your bedroom floor when visibility is reduced for ever and eternity #CurseDavidCameron
— Liam Hackett (@DiageoLiam) 7 апреля 2016 г.
May there always be a piece of lego beneath your bare foot. #CurseDavidCameron
— Josephine Liptrott (@JoLiptrott) 7 апреля 2016 г.
May you have 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife, & may you meet the pig of your dream & then its beautiful wife #CurseDavidCameron
— Natasha Harpley (@TashHarpley) 7 апреля 2016 г.
May all crisp packets you open have a highly unequal distribution of flavour. One really strong crisp, the rest plain. #CurseDavidCameron.
— kevin (@rascalblog) 7 апреля 2016 г.
Some sounded more provocative:
#CurseDavidCameron is all twee, British fun but shouldn't we be storming Downing Street about now?He's lied and lied and lied #cameronresign
— Chopper Kelly (@Kellyszero) 7 апреля 2016 г.
What's for dinner tonight? #CurseDavidCameron#CameronResignpic.twitter.com/sUz1DUjt8s
— Rhalou Allerhand (@Rhalou) 7 апреля 2016 г.
Don't just tweet #CameronOut or #CurseDavidCameron.
— Smiley McBastardface (@Neurosceptic) 7 апреля 2016 г.
Do what the Icelanders do and physically force the gammonfaced twatgannet out.
A viral tweet then emerged on the official House of Cards Twitter account, getting swept up in the roaring trend. Those promoting Netflix’s political drama didn’t actually use the hashtag, seeking out a very interesting comment tweeted by David Cameron himself – and replying to it. Ironically, the US show is a remake of a 1990s UK series whose main character “will stop at nothing to become prime minister.”
.@David_Cameronpic.twitter.com/BrgljZmAHu
— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) 7 апреля 2016 г.
Most others, however, made incessant swine jokes. Very rude. Oink:
#CurseDavidCameron May all the dead pig's heads you encounter in the future, have their mouths sewn shut@WillBlackWriter
— James Murphy (@AverageCynic) 8 апреля 2016 г.
#CurseDavidCameron
— Alan 父 Weaver (@alanweaver1957) 7 апреля 2016 г.
May your legacy be, 'oh he was the corrupt one that shagged dead pigs & was replaced by Corbyn'. pic.twitter.com/w8OlNELUgv
"Did you fuck the pig?"
— hrtbps (@hrtbps) April 6, 2016
"I won't dignify that with a response"
"Tell me about your offshore interests"
"It wasn't a whole pig."
