The Conservatives have pulled off one of the best political stunts of the year with the Birmingham Tapestry.
At their annual party conference, taking place in the West Midlands, they have created an 88-foot pastiche of the Bayeux Tapestry, retelling the first two years of Labour government through 61 satirical scenes.
The real Bayeux Tapestry is currently on display at the British Museum, having returned to Britain for the first time in almost 1,000 years. It’s a huge cultural hit and the Conservatives have found a way to attach their political message to it in a genuinely entertaining and relevant way.
Andy Burnham appears in his running shorts. Rachel Reeves is depicted crying at the despatch box. Angela Rayner’s infamous dinghy makes an appearance. Robert Jenrick is shown being sacked. There are 254 rats representing Birmingham’s council problems. And there are plenty of jokes about Reform, Kemi Badenoch and the Conservative Party itself.
And there is a particularly nice piece of political symmetry – George Osborne, former Conservative Chancellor and one of the defining figures of modern Tory politics, is now chairman of the British Museum.
The Guardian reported that it was the most popular exhibit at the conference. The Times has described it as the standout stunt of conference season. Sky News has devoted multiple pieces to it. Reuters has distributed photographs of it internationally. There’s a whole load of TikToks from mainstream journalists about it.
And now the reaction has moved beyond media coverage. People have been asking for merchandise and the Conservatives have responded with a limited run of Birmingham Tapestry mugs and tote bags, going on sale.
That the party has gone to the effort of turning around new merch within a conference week is a pretty good indicator of how well the idea has been received.
