Tory leadership hopeful Rory Stewart may have become a minor social media sensation for his videos of ‘walks’ meeting members of the public, but not every encounter goes entirely as planned.
In the latest clip posted on his Twitter feed, the international development secretary, 46, bumps into three men who walk off upon learning who he is, with one saying he doesn’t ‘f*** with politics’.
But the encounter was uploaded by Mr Stewart nonetheless, with the self-effacing caption: ‘You can’t win ‘em all… Brick Lane.’
It is the latest of several viral videos, including a walkabout in Kew Gardens which prompted a meme in which people joked that they were scared to leave their homes in case he appeared.
Mr Stewart shared the video on his Twitter feed with the caption ‘can’t win ’em all’
The three young men initially seem excited when he asks: ‘Are you happy to have a quick film?’.
They dance around for the camera as the would-be Prime Minister introduces himself by his first name.
Asked whether they live in the neighbourhood all three nod, before clarifying that they are ‘originally from Ireland actually’, later saying they hail from Dublin.
Asked why the cameraman is there, Mr Stewart explains: ‘I’m filming something, I’m a politician, I’m standing to be Prime Minister so I’m going round meeting people.’
But at the mere mention of the word ‘politician’ the men’s body language changes and their lack of interest is immediately obvious, even before one replies: ‘Nah, I don’t f*** with politics, man’.
The group exchange pleasantries and the men walk off. Mr Stewart posted the clip online with the caption ‘You can’t win ‘em all… Brick Lane #RoryWalks’
Initially the men look excited to be on camera and dance around as Mr Stewart smiles on
Courteous greetings are exchanged as the international development secretary introduces himself by his first name
But the men look distinctly unimpressed on learning why he’s there – and one )pictured above, right) replies ‘Nah I don’t f*** with politics man’, ending the brief encounter
The interaction ended with smiles as the men made their way away after learning Mr Stewart was ‘running to become Prime Minister’
Twitter was uncharacteristically kind in response to the slightly awkward video, with the vast majority of respondents telling Mr Stewart they were impressed by his willingness to meet voters outside the Westminster bubble.
One person wrote: ‘You tried. Full marks for trying. They won’t see any other contenders there, that’s for sure.’
While another replied: ‘It’s all a bit staged but at the same time I couldn’t imagine any other Tory leadership candidate doing this. 6/10.’
Although a handful of people thought the exchange was cringe-worthy enough to remind them of the exploits of fictional interviewers Alan Partridge or Ali G.
The vast majority of more than 270 replies on Twitter congratulated Mr Stewart for his willingness to converse with ordinary voters
It comes after leadership hopeful Rory Stewart apologised after admitting once smoking Class A drug opium.
He said he was wrong to accept a pipe that was being passed around at a wedding he attended in Iran while travelling 15 years ago.
He admitted smoking the narcotic – from which heroin is made – during an interview with the Daily Telegraph, saying it ‘had no effect’ on him ‘because I was walking 25-30 miles a day’.
One man whose voice appeared in the video, as he was shaking hands with Rory Stewart, reached out to support him online
The candidate replied that he was impressed Mr Bommelaer had managed to recognisehimself from the short clip
He told the paper: ‘I was invited into the house, the opium pipe was passed around at a wedding. I thought – this is going be a very strange afternoon to walk – but it may be that the family was so poor they put very little opium in the pipe.’
Mr Stewart, the MP for Penrith and the Borders in Cumbria, has conducted a social media-heavy campaign during his #RoryWalks tour of various parts of the UK, including east London, Warrington and Wigan, to talk to members of the public.
His tour prompted meme where people joked that they were scared to leave their homes in case he appeared.
A few of those who replied drew comparisons with Alan Partridge or Ali G played by Sacha Baron Cohen
This Twitter user posted an animated gif of Partridge, played by Steve Coogan, reciting a cringe-making ‘hard man’ rap in response to Rory Stewart’s video
Mr Stewart stepped up to International Development Secretary earlier this month to replace Ms Mordaunt and days later declared he will run for the Tory leadership.
The Theresa May loyalist praised the PM for her ‘courageous effort’ to pass her Brexit deal but admitted he would throw his hat in the ring when she steps down.
Urging his party not to ‘try to outdo Nigel Farage’, the development secretary has said the Tories should ‘stretch all the way from Ken Clarke to Jacob Rees-Mogg’.
He also lashed out at Mr Johnson, saying he would not serve under a No Deal-supporting PM.
International Development Secretary Rory Stewart addresses a crowd gathered at Speaker’s Corner last week