iPhone gaffe has Alastair Campbell looking like a posh Twitter

FORMER Downing Street Director of Communications Alastair Campbell found himself managing his own public relations gaffe yesterday after accidentally posting a photo of himself in hunting clothes on Twitter.

The spin doctor for Tony Blair’s government said he meant to send a snap of himself dressed in tweed jacket and waistcoat to his family rather than more than 180,000 followers on the website. Mr Campbell helped push through a bill outlawing fox-hunting during his time as Mr Blair’s director of communications and strategy.

But he was quick to defend the mistake, using it as an opportunity to take a dig at ITV drama Downton Abbey.

He tweeted: “Can’t believe this on Twitter. Did I press wrong button? Was sending to my daughter and Fiona for a laugh ‘cos hate Downton.”

He went on to blame his own blurry vision for the error. “The perils of using iPhone without specs,” he said. “Email next to tweet!!!”

On his blog, he said he was in a kilt shop in London to buy an outfit for a wedding at which he is to play the bagpipes. He wrote: “One sale having been made, they tried another on me, and asked if I fancied a new tweed suit. I snorted with derision, not wishing ever to look like an extra from Downton Abbey.”

He asked staff to take a snap, which he tried to send to his partner and daughter. He wrote: “Seemingly I hit the ‘tweet’ button on my iPhone, which sparked some fairly predictable responses about beagling, hunting, used car and double-glazing salesmen, Minder, Guy Ritchie movies and this, my favourite, ‘you look like you’re fresh from deflowering the parlour maid’.”