PALIN MITENK BLOG

By Jonathan Petre

What a hoot: Camilla laughs as she stays dry while Bob Ainsworth battles with an out-of-control umbrella


Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth had to cope with some faulty kit on the front line yesterday - struggling to control his black umbrella in a gust of wind.

The hapless Minister - sitting next to the Duchess of Cornwall and a seat away from Sarah Brown at a solemn Cenotaph ceremony to mark VE Day - seemed unable to work out how to open his brolly properly again once it had been blown inside out.

Mr Ainsworth’s struggle raised a smile from the Duchess, who was keeping dry under her see-through domed umbrella.


Still laughing: A bemused Sarah Brown looks on as Ainsworth has little luck with the umbrella, and Camilla continues to chuckle



Inside out: Ainsworth distracts everyone around him at the solemn Cenotaph ceremony to mark VE Day


Giving up: The Defence Secretary is eventually resigned to the fact that his brolly is going to stay upturned


The Prime Minister’s wife then tried to help out by holding up her umbrella to protect the Minister from the rain - as the Duchess continued to enjoy the slapstick moment.

But things didn’t get better for him as his equipment then failed completely.

He was left looking totally bemused after seemingly giving up, with the upturned brolly lying uselessly over his knees - and the Duchess and Mrs Brown covering their embarrassment.

Mr Ainsworth has been guilty of a series of gaffes since becoming Defence Secretary.

In January, he infuriated Downing Street by letting slip the date of the Election, and he once blurted out b******s during a parliamentary debate.


source :dailymail