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Cameron fails citizenship test on David Letterman show

Prime Minister left red-faced after he fails to give the English for Magna Carta.

By George Eaton Published 27 September 2012 7:33

David Cameron on the David Letterman show.

David Cameron joked "I have ended my career" after stumbling over a series of questions on British history.

While it wasn't the toughest interrogation he'll ever face, David Cameron still endured several awkward moments during his appearance on the David Letterman show last night. Challenged by Letterman to name who composed Rule Britannia as part of a mock British citizenship test, Cameron incorrectly answered "Elgar" (the correct answer, as revealed at the end of the show, was the little-known Thomas Arne). Less forgivable, perhaps, was the Prime Minister's failure to know the English for Magna Carta (Grand Charter), an omission that won't have impressed the Latinophile Boris Johnson. "You have found me out. That is bad, I have ended my career on your show tonight," Cameron joked at one point.

He went on to redeem himself, in the eyes of US viewers at least, by successfully explaining the difference between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and by displaying some awareness of the complex history of Anglo American relations. "We interfered in your politics 200 years ago when we sailed up the river and burnt the White House," Cameron said, in reference to the war of 1812.

The full video isn't available yet, but you can watch a short clip of the interview above.

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Tags: David Cameron Conservatives

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20 comments

Fri, 2012-09-28 12:54 — Karen Hudes (not verified)

David Cameron flubbed David Letterman's two other questions: why Cameron is unpopular as Prime Minister. Correct answer: because Cameron refused to sack Andrew Mitchell, the Secretary of International Development, for a cover up -- Mitchell's real cover-up is of corruption at the World Bank. The UK's Financial Reporting Council is currently investigating the improper audits of the World Bank.
what is the difference between the UK's and US campaign finance rules:
money buys the election in the US -- the corruption that Andrew Mitchell was covering up has bought Robert Zoellick a job as Mitt Romney's head of national security.

Fri, 2012-09-28 02:01 — blinkers

Cameron the same one that thought the war WW2 started when the Americans entered the war. Two years later after they had enabled Britain to be stripped of its wealth by War Bonds investors that never went to war - whilst brave young men and women from lower classes were used as lambs to the slaughter.

Fri, 2012-09-28 11:05 — Hikaru22

Yes, that's right. This is the same Cameron who went to America and said that Britain had played second fiddle to the United States during the...er....Battle of Britain.

Fri, 2012-09-28 01:58 — blinkers

Daddy was not here to buy his answers this time,as at Moth-Eton and University.

Thu, 2012-09-27 22:54 — mamamia (not verified)

Ok! Cameron may not be very knowledgeable but he is the cleverest Tory - after Osborne!

Fri, 2012-09-28 02:03 — blinkers

I know Ed Miliband is the cleverest Tory, as he says and does nothing!

and gets paid a fortune!

Thu, 2012-09-27 21:50 — Hikaru22

One thing about our Prime Minister - he knows what "The Snoopers' Charter" is, but he doesn't know what Magna Carta is.

Says it all, really.

Thu, 2012-09-27 21:39 — ACMJ

When I predicted 30 months ago that if Cameron was elected as PrimeMininster , he would make Britain into a laughing stock I was not joking ! I was going by the performance of his previous gaffs that he had made which had suggested that he is shallow in his knowledge and wit .
Now that joint coalition Prime Minister Cameron has proved me right successfully yet again , for me to gloat , would be rather un becoming to the steadfast fellow acquaintances online .
Since it would be inappropriate under these circumstances to say "I told you so " , it is best that we forget about David Cameron's jokes and take him seriously when he says something like "You have found me out. That is bad, I have ended my career on your show tonight," Perhaps David Cameron has began to realise the truth about himself at last . Maybe some who voted for him will realise this too ?

Thu, 2012-09-27 21:38 — ACMJ

Thu, 2012-09-27 20:56 — hugh markey (not verified)

The repealing of the Law of the Forest did a lot more for the English peasant barred from entering royal theme parks and landed estates than John's spin doctors' Magna Carta ever did.
In fact John did a U-Turn later and tried to ignore MC.
Thank the Almighty for Errol Flynn.

Hollywood History

Thu, 2012-09-27 19:41 — Fred Garvin (not verified)

The man who was described as being so dumb that he couldn't pour piss out of a boot that had the instructions to do this printed on its heel was Johnson's successor as President, Gerald R. Ford. He was a Representative from Michigan when Johnson was talking about him.
I was actually waiting for a mention, if not an apology, for the invasion and looting of Block Island by Hardy (the "Kiss me, Hardy", Hardy), but heck, let bygones be bygones.

Thu, 2012-09-27 18:58 — blinkers

We did not interfere with their land, it was ours before we had the New-English Spring.

Thu, 2012-09-27 17:44 — Graham_rsa (not verified)

How can you think Elgar wrote Rule Britannia - centuries out!! What a terrible education / lack of an enquiring mind he must have had / have!

Thu, 2012-09-27 17:28 — Paul Whitaker (not verified)

The Americans are very good at setting "Live TV traps" but the real fault lies with Cameron's PR team; either get the questions beforehand or don't do the show...I cetainly wouldn't throw one of my clients raw into anything like the Letterman show. Any road up, (as we don't say in Yorkshire) the Yanks have no room to talk; which President was it who, allegedly, couldn't chew gum and fart at the same time? Or what about the greatest recent President Lyndon Johnson who said of one of his predecessors: "That guy couldn't pour piss out of a cowboy boot if the instructions were written on the heel!"
Grow up Letterman...

Thu, 2012-09-27 14:20 — Iain hill (not verified)

I bet Wee Eck would pass the Scottish test!

Thu, 2012-09-27 13:08 — Jay B. (not verified)

Well, the citizenship test is pretty hard. Full of question not even ordinary citizens know how to answer. Not to mention expensive. If I have to pay about 15,000 £ for everything, including visa and then fail the test I wouldn't be happy either. And not even the prime minister could do it. Now it would be interesting to see Stephen Harper take Canada's citizenship test. Without studying first. As I remember the fail rate is considered to be pretty hard too.

Thu, 2012-09-27 12:26 — Stuart Eels (not verified)

What! he's made an apology for burning their White House down in the 1812 war, they started it with their invasion of Canada!

It's my opinion we should go and burn the replacement down as well!

Thu, 2012-09-27 11:05 — Robert Taggart

Just a shame there be no 1812 Overture - of our own !

Thu, 2012-09-27 10:45 — K8H (not verified)

Does Magna Carta mean nothing to you? Did she die in vain?

Thu, 2012-09-27 08:29 — willoyen

I wonder how this glittering, shiny PR PM would do on a test about Europe, let alone the EU. It wouldn't matter, though; nothing does to PR men, so long as the show goes on.