The new transport secretary Louise Haigh won some praise on the internet with a succinct joke at her colleague Ed Miliband.
Miliband is now the net zero and energy security secretary, but he was once the leader of the Labour Party from 2010 to 2015.
Despite being the leader of the opposition for five years, Miliband’s time at the helm of the party is probably best remembered for one particular sandwich incident.
Yes, the 2014 moment which has its own Wikipedia page, called “Ed Miliband bacon sandwich photograph”.
The politician became a famous internet meme after he was seen eating a bacon sandwich with a particularly unflattering expression on his face.
The image was first taken for the Evening Standard a decade ago, but it clearly lives on – in Haigh’s memory, at least.
The minister jokingly took aim at her colleague after Christopher Hope’s diary column in The Telegraph said last Friday that Haigh had blocked one of her fellow cabinet ministers.
She reportedly told Hope’s source: “I’ve had to block him – it’s too much.”
Hope claimed the dramatic move came about because “he keeps sending her complaints about the poor catering on the trains and planes he travels on.”
The newspaper did not say who the minister in question was.
But Haigh clearly saw this column on Wednesday – and made the only quip possible when it comes to top Labour figures and food.
She made a joke about sandwich-gate, replying: “Reader, it was @Ed_Miliband I blocked.”
And the internet was, for once, pretty supportive….
😂😂😂😂 wonderful https://t.co/znCX8w53c0
— Tim (totally unremarkable) (@forwardnotback) July 31, 2024
He prefers a good bacon roll.
— Scott Arthur MP (Edinburgh South West) 🌍🌈🌹 (@DrScottArthurMP) July 31, 2024
Made me chuckle https://t.co/MZC7Olr62N
— Tracey B💈(TeeBee ☕️🐝) (@traceyb78) July 31, 2024
— Dazza B (@Spiceboytrucker) July 31, 2024
— Mikey Smith (@mikeysmith) August 1, 2024