KFC’s British branch has got embroiled in a poultry-themed online feud with Tories after they decided to battle it out for the best political meme.
It all started with KFC UK & Ireland mocking on Wednesday a viral picture of Jacob Rees-Mogg, Leader of the House of Commons, lying down with his eyes closed during a three-hour Brexit debate in the House.
“When you try to take on a Bargain Bucket all by yourself,” KFC playfully captioned the photo.
When you try to take on a Bargain Bucket all by yourself... pic.twitter.com/CBtpj0dpob
— KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) 4 сентября 2019 г.
On Friday afternoon, the Conservative Party’s Twitter account struck back, sharing an edited image of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wearing a chicken costume. “We’ve found an even bigger chicken than you,” they wrote, tagging KFC.
Hey @KFC_UKI, we’ve found an even bigger chicken than you. pic.twitter.com/9gBVe0p06a
— Conservatives (@Conservatives) 6 сентября 2019 г.
The post came after an explosive session of Prime Minister’s Questions in parliament, in which Boris Johnson called Jeremy Corbyn a “chlorinated chicken” and a “big girl’s blouse” for refusing to agree to a snap election. Corbyn said his party would support a snap election only if a no-deal scenario was ruled out.
MPs voted against the prime minister’s motion for an early general election, fearing it would enable him to move the poll past the 31 October Brexit deadline and take Britain out of the EU without a deal in place. Instead, they passed a bill which would force Johnson to delay Brexit if no deal has been reached with the EU by that date.
The prime minister has recently said he would “rather be dead in a ditch” than request a Brexit delay from the European Union, so he is likely to face legal action if he fails to comply with lawmakers’ demands.
The Conservatives’ mockery of Corbyn prompted mixed reactions on Twitter.
KFC replied, “This is KFC not LBC don’t @ me,” while Conservative politicians scolded their social media managers for the stunt.
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who co-chaired the Conservative Party between 2010 and 2012, described the Tories’ tweet as “silly playground behaviour”.
“How can grown men reduce themselves to this level of silliness. What has become of this great Party of ours,” she lamented.
This James is silly playground behaviour.
— Sayeeda Warsi (@SayeedaWarsi) 6 сентября 2019 г.
We are in the middle of a national crisis and this is our response.🤦🏽♀️
How can grown men reduce themselves to this level of silliness. What has become of this great Party of ours😢 https://t.co/89aStqWjbq
Meanwhile, Conservative Alistair Burt, who had his whip removed and will stand down as MP after teaming up with the opposition and backing the motion seeking a Brexit delay, urged fellow party members to “stop this stuff”.
Please stop this stuff. We are better than this. https://t.co/o2dBltO2bP
— Alistair Burt (@AlistairBurtUK) 6 сентября 2019 г.
The American food chain appears to be one of the many opponents of Boris Johnson’s Brexit plans. The group wrote in a letter to legislators in January that crashing out of the EU’s single market and customs union would disrupt its supply chains that have strong links to the bloc.
Speaking to the BBC in March, Paula MacKenzie, managing director of KFC UK and Ireland, said that a no-deal Brexit would damage its chips supply.
“All of our chicken on the bone and nearly all of our wings come from the UK, but a lot of our chips for example, come from the continent,” she said.
“We do have to think about what it is actually possible to stockpile in the UK. We, like others on the high street, will be OK for so long, but if there’s mass disruption for everyone then at some point it does run out.”
