Cherie cracks 'crap joke' for disabled comic

The Prime Minister's wife delivered her one-liner when introduced to 31-year-old funnyman Laurence Clark at a Labour Party conference fringe meeting yesterday. She asked him: "Are you a stand-up comedian or a sit-down comedian?"

The Liverpudlian replied: "Everyone makes that joke."

Mr Clark, who was appearing at a discussion forum staged by the cerebral palsy charity Scope, then invited Mrs Blair to watch his ten-minute set.

The comedian, who has received critical acclaim for his travelling show, Jim Davidson's Guide to Equality, said: "I don't think she made a mistake in what she said. I think she was cracking a crap joke. I think she should stick to the law. I did not take offence at all. She was not embarrassed but she did seem a little nervous around disabled people."

Mrs Blair did not stay to watch Mr Clark's show after their brief encounter yesterday lunchtime.