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11

Oct 2024

Last Updated: 11/10/2024
Community
Community

Knaresborough man explains T-shirt tribute to ‘gay icon’ Theresa May

by John Plummer

| 11 Oct, 2024
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John Cooper shows off his T-shirt to Baroness May at her book-signing.

A Knaresborough man brought the house down at last night’s Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival when he revealed his T-shirt tribute to Theresa May.

The former Prime Minister was at the festival to talk about her book The Abuse of Power and her life in politics. You can read what she said here.

After a 45-minute interview on stage, Baroness May answered questions from the audience. The last one was asked by John Cooper, who hailed her as a fashion icon and, as he unzipped his jacket, asked what she thought of his T-shirt.

The specially-made T-shirt displayed four images of the Conservative politician dancing at the Tory party conference in 2018 and drew rapturous applause as well as laughter.

Baroness May said she couldn’t actually see the T-shirt but Mr Cooper got another chance to show her it when he queued afterwards to get his copy of her book signed at the Crown Hotel. 

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Mr Cooper shows off his T-shirt and signed book at the Crown Hotel last night.

He told the Stray Ferret he “stood-up” his mum on a trip to see Dame Judi Dench in York when he discovered Baroness May was in Harrogate, adding:

She’s an ultimate definition of a gay icon, I’d say. The fashion — kitten heels and pearls — and her luxury item on Desert Island Discs would be a subscription to Vogue. A complete underdog in the Brexit negotiations, her awkward dancing and her coughing at the Tory conference, she’s just a nice woman and I love her.

Mr Cooper, who once appeared on TV's Deal or No Deal, added he was from Tory-loving parents but only voted for the party when Baroness May was leader in 2017.

He said he asked Baroness May’s husband, Phillip, if he’d like a version of the T-shirt “and he laughed and said he sees enough of her already”.

Baroness May’s appearance marked the start of the 10-day literature festival, which takes place at the Crown Hotel and the Old Swan.

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