Brighton MP teases UKIP over spoof Shipping Forecast at Prime Minister’s Questions

Brighton Kemptown MP Simon Kirby latched on to a popular spoof shipping forecast at Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons today (Wednesday 22 January).

The mock BBC Radio forecast makes fun of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and one of its councillors, David Silvester, from Oxfordshire.

The party suspended him after Councillor Silvester said that the government’s decision to legalise gay marriage was responsible for recent floods.

The spoof forecast, by actor Nicholas Pegg, starts: “There are warnings of gays in Viking, Forties, Cromarty, southeast Iceland and Bongo Bongo Land.”

It contains a refrain of “showers … gay”.

And it ends by imitating the Radio 4 continuity announcer introducing the Archers with: “Now it’s over to Ambridge where Bridge Farm is still knee deep in water and the village is counting the cost of Adam and Ian’s civil partnership.”

Conservative MP Mr Kirby said to the Prime Minister: “I am incredibly proud to represent a large gay community in my constituency.

“Does my right honourable friend agree that, despite the views of some, the weather in Brighton is nearly always very sunny?”

David Cameron said: “My honourable friend is quite right that Brighton has a superb microclimate that people should be encouraged to take advantage of.

“He stands up for all his constituents with great vim and vigour.

“In reward, it would only be fair if Brighton Kemptown was put in the shipping forecast somewhere between Dover and Wight, so that we had a reflection of that every morning.”

The spoof shipping forecast can be heard here.