Defence Secretary Grant Shapps mixed up the RAF with the Royal Navy – 14 shots across the bow
Rishi has fixed it for Little Shappsy Four Names to have his fifth government post in a year by making him the Secretary of State for Defence – a role for which he has no obvious qualifications.
It’s going well.
New defence secretary Grant Shapps confuses RAF with Royal Navy on second week of job while speaking to LBChttps://t.co/XuaRQg1vlw
— LBC (@LBC) September 6, 2023
While talking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari, Shapps boasted about the equipment used by the armed forces, stating –
“Those aircraft carriers are the largest carriers the RAF has ever had.”
This is going to come as a surprise to the RAF, which has precisely zero aircraft carriers, because those vessels are run by the Royal Navy.
The facepalm was strong with Twitter.
1.
Breaking: Shapps unveils UK’s new attack submarine: https://t.co/NGpSaGZtFt pic.twitter.com/jTlLNDbpJ5
— Rob B (@RobBfromDerby) September 6, 2023
2.
give him a break, the first few weeks of any job are about finding where you make coffee and learning the difference between plane and boat https://t.co/rOcZ0FKisI
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) September 6, 2023
3.
Poor old Shappsy. He has to have stickers on his clothes to differentiate his arse from his elbow. https://t.co/HQERTpd5VL
— PM’s Orifice (@PM_orifice) September 6, 2023
4.
Can you tell the difference between these two pictures? Congratulations! You could be Defence Secretary. https://t.co/FAataszQJd pic.twitter.com/TT63k3Pjok
— Mic Wright (@brokenbottleboy) September 6, 2023
5.
I miss competence. You know, just the basic stuff like someone knowing how to do their job and just beigely getting on with it https://t.co/5xrWed9D3Y
— Lou Morgan (@LouMorgan) September 6, 2023
6.
Is Group Squadron Admiral Midshipman Grant "Michael Green Beret" Shapps, a bit of out of his depth?https://t.co/cK5IsrKBXY
— Ahmer Wadee (@ahmerwadee) September 6, 2023
7.
Blunder boy Grant Shapps
The new defence secretary described the UK's aircraft carriers as being "the largest carriers the RAF has ever had"
That came as news to the RAFhttps://t.co/SD9ob9h6HZ
— Louis 〓〓 Defend the right to vote (@LouisHenwood) September 6, 2023
8.
Easily done. https://t.co/F0XFdqOv3w pic.twitter.com/mQ61C7RvY2
— Colin the Dachshund (@DachshundColin) September 6, 2023
9.
Grant Shapps making a good start as secretary of state for defence. https://t.co/yDKhQjp5Xq
— RS Archer (@archer_rs) September 6, 2023
10.
Hardly surprising, given that Shapps has previously confused his own name with those of Corinne Stockheath, Michael Green and Sebastian Fox… https://t.co/1VynfzRg7A
— Chris Shaw (@The_ChrisShaw) September 6, 2023
11.
Can't say I'm surprised. Depressed. But not surprised. #Moron #RAF #RoyalNavy #GrantShapps https://t.co/4OKhr4w7gJ
— Dr Stephen Carver (@drstephencarver) September 6, 2023
12.
FFS….that's the way to convince both the RN and the RAF that he's every bit as much of an idiot that railway folk will have told them he is….. https://t.co/YJliHTFDBO pic.twitter.com/ZafnudZZ6q
— Nigel Harris (@RAIL) September 6, 2023
13.
I see the RAF managed to get their Ministerial briefing in before the Navy did. Congratulations to the RAF on gaining two aircraft carriers – next, the planes. https://t.co/gwDXizHc2Q
— Phil (@BO3673) September 6, 2023
14.
— Col (@Clintus_erectus) September 6, 2023
Gaffes like this are, as Mike Holden pointed out, a natural consequence of Tory hiring policy.
This is what happens when you don't care who is in post as long as they are loyal to the Leader. You get shit ministers like @grantshapps doing five jobs in a year without being any good at any of them. https://t.co/oEg35XMNsk
— Mike Holden (@MikeHolden42) September 6, 2023
At least his knowledge of the armed forces didn’t fall short in any other area, though, right? RIGHT?
#KayBurley – There's been a lot of criticism that you got your job because it's a job for the boys, as opposed to knowing anything about the Ministry of Defence… do you know how many ranks there are in the army?
Grant Shapps – Not off the top of my head… pic.twitter.com/lz80t0d4kd
— Haggis_UK (@Haggis_UK) September 6, 2023
To sum up …
Major Problem https://t.co/1bPYirgU6w
— Toby Earle (@TobyonTV) September 6, 2023
READ MORE
The new Home Secretary is Grant Shapps, or whatever he’s called this week – 23 great responses
Source LBC Image Screengrab
