There are three types of politicos on Twitter. First, there are those who unswervingly – and sometimes excruciatingly – toe the party line, forever insisting that their party leader has given a strong and assured performance in the latest PMQs or radio interview. Let’s call them the Peter Hains. Second, there are those who stand out from the crowd; the insightful and opinionated tweeters that have something of genuine interest to say. The John Rentouls, if you will. Third, there are those who seek nothing more than to put a smile on our faces.
In this third category fall the myriad parody accounts that jokingly impersonate various figures in the political limelight. These social networking jesters allow us into the mind of an inebriated George Osborne, experience a robotic David Dimbleby, and imagine what Ed Miliband might say if he truly were ‘Red’.
It’s about time those who go to the effort of brightening up the political twitterverse received the credit they deserve. So here they are, my top five parody twitter accounts that make the world of politics a better place.
1. Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonGuru)
Simply put, whoever runs this account is a genius. The bicycle-riding, tie-hating, wigwam-loving policy guru to the PM is the master of political dark arts, working tirelessly with his sidekick Rohan Silva to plant Tory-friendly questions to his boss in the Commons and do battle with his nemesis, Labour spinner Tom Baldwin. For anyone with an interest in the behind-the-scenes goings on of government, following The Guru is an absolute must. Make sure you tune in at midday on Wednesdays for what is without doubt the funniest live-tweeting of PMQs available. As spoof Steve might say himself, follow him and you most definitely will be #winning.
2. Angela Merkel (@Angela_D_Merkel)
When she’s not busy desperately trying to find a solution to the eurozone crisis, the German Chancellor – at least according to this spoof – spends her time pondering whether Herman van Pompuy could be marketed as a cure for sex addiction. Well worth a follow for reports on the latest inappropriate text from Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the gross injustice of Germany paying for everybody’s drinks at EU parties.
3. ShippersUnhinged (@ShippersUnhinge)
This brilliant spoof account speculates at what the Daily Mail’s deputy political editor, Tim Shipman (real account here), might be thinking if he were ‘unhinged’. Bishops, vegetarians and the French are some of the harshest victims of his vitriol, which the real Shippers thankfully takes in good spirit. The account has been quieter than usual lately however; a return to the fore would be most welcome across Westminster!
4. Elizabeth Windsor (@Queen_UK)
If you ever wanted to know what a text from Prince William to the Queen might look like, this is the account for you. Recent reflections range from stripping Fred Goodwin of his knighthood to sitting in Buckingham Palace watching Masterchef with a tube of Pringles. And of course, for our parody sovereign, it’s never too early for it to be ‘gin o’clock’.
5. Larry the Cat (@DowningStCat)
You may have seen him proudly prowling the pavement behind Nick Robinson or Adam Boulton as they report the latest from No10. Larry the Downing Street cat has become something of a cult figure in Westminster circles ever since David Cameron brought him in to tackle a mouse infestation last year. Highlights include the prime minister giving him a tuna for Christmas, Vince Cable falling asleep in a Cabinet meeting and Labour-turned-Tory defector Luke Bozier inspiring Larry to himself defect to being a dog. Oh, and the account is raising money for the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, so all in all well worth a follow.
So there you have it, a quick guide to some of the best parody accounts on twitter. To those anonymous heroes who selflessly give up your time just to give us a laugh, thank you, and long may you continue.
Alexander Wickham is a freelance journalist and blogger who writes for The Independent, amongst others. He tweets at @Wickham_A
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