"My fellow reptiles..."

So began David Cameron's address to lobby journalists at lunch today.

Apparently his daughter Nancy knows "Dave the Chameleon" as "the nice frog on the telly", and he drinks his tea out of a Dave the Chameleon mug. His relaxed handling of the  attack seems to have worked well.

Dave will have more willing "fellow reptiles" tomorrow with the launch of the Chameleon Army.

In replying to a question, Cameron interestingly said that his political hero was Giuseppe Garibaldi, the founder of modern Italy.

What do you think his cause of inspiration is?
(Patriots will note that Garibaldi led military victories against both the French and the Argentinians.)

Deputy Editor

Comments

[Richard]

No doubt David Icke will use this as proof that David Cameron is a shapeshifting giant Lizard.

[Chris Palmer]

I wonder how many people actually know what a Chameleon is?

[Ted]

I still feel guilty decades later over the inevitable chameleon murders that occurred when pruning back the bouganvilleia hedges just after chameleon hatchings - very small, slow moving, well disguised little lizards and pruning shears....

perhaps the best contrition is to join the Chameleon Army and defend a new generation chameleon!

[Duped]

Sounds like Cameron likes our country's enemies - prepare for an EPP sell out.

[Goldie]

Giuseppi Garibaldi????????

What the f*^$&#*....is wrong with this guy....

[Richard]

Garibaldi was a liberal radical wasn't he? Not very conservative...

[Ted]

our humourless UKIP visitors don't seem to understand "light relief"

[Person]

"Sounds like Cameron likes our country's enemies"

Just because someone's foreign it doesn't mean that they're Britain's enemy. The British government at the time supported Garibaldi in his making Italian unification possible. Also, half of Tynemouth is named after him.

[Annabel Herriott]

"Person" you are going to have to explain that, seeing as how I come from Geordie land, and cant remember anyone up there called either Guiseppi or Garibaldi, unless you are meaning biscuits. Come on, do tell!

[Daniel Hannan]

The more I learn about Cameron, the more I like him. Garibaldi was arguably the chief exemplar of the great Nineteenth Century tradition of liberal nationalism: that generous and high-minded strain of patriotism that cherished the freedoms of all peoples, not just your own. His guiding creed was self-determination: that is, the right of every people to form their own state. Surely the perfect role model.

[Richard]

Garibaldi was also a republican. He sacrificed these principles for a united Italy but it doesn't change the fact that he'd rather have had an Italy without a monarchy. That said I can approve of his liberal nationalism.

[kingbongo]

Garibaldi inspired many people to want to throw off the yoke of state oppression and was a magnificent leader of people, as was his wife. DC has chosen well, as it requires people to go off and find out a bit about someone rather than the 'usual suspects' of political herodom.

If I remember my A level politics classes from 22 years ago he got an amazing welcome in England in the mid 1860s and the Americans loved him to bits.

[Ted]

Annabel - not half of Tynemouth but if you look at link you'll see "Garibaldi is known to have stayed in Tynemouth House, Tynemouth, in the north east of England, now part of The King's School, Tynemouth. A room in the house is subsequently named The Garibaldi Room."

[Person]

Well, half of Tynemouth was an exaggeration but there are bits - around the Metro station I think - where there he gets a mention, like I think there's a cafe named after him and other things. Also I think there's a blue plaque in Newcastle city centre that mentions where he stayed (though I may be thinking of someone else). Sorry I can't be more specific.

[Matthew Oxley]

I'm quite fond of the biscuits

[johnC]

I've always called them 'squashed fly' biscuits. Isn't that what chameleons eat as well ?

[Guido Fawkes]

The new video is up and it is bascially the same.