Sir Keir Starmer found himself at the center of a controversial display at the Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival in Worcestershire over the weekend. An effigy of the Prime Minister was on show, complete with a blue suit, red tie, rake for a head, and garden tools for hands. The scarecrow even included a pair of glasses and a fake Premier League ticket sticking out of its pocket.
This mocking portrayal of Sir Keir comes in the wake of revelations about the Prime Minister accepting donations for clothing and glasses, as well as free tickets from football clubs. The donations included work clothing worth £16,200, multiple pairs of glasses valued at £2,485, and £35,000 worth of free tickets. Despite the criticism, Sir Keir has defended accepting gifts from Lord Alli, a Labour donor who also provided clothing and shopping vouchers to Lady Starmer.
The Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival, which took place over the weekend, attracted more than 30,000 spectators who enjoyed seeing scarecrow versions of various pop-culture figures. In addition to the controversial model of Sir Keir, attendees could also admire scarecrow versions of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator, Dolly Parton, Winston Churchill, and Albert Einstein.
One particularly eye-catching display featured a model of Harry Potter casting the “expecto patronum” charm to summon a stag, while another showcased a giant straw shark leaping out of a garden. The festival, founded by children’s author Steve Haywood in 1996, has become a popular annual event held every September.
The creative and humorous scarecrow displays at the festival offer a unique and entertaining way for locals to showcase their artistic talents and sense of humor. While the effigy of Sir Keir Starmer may have sparked controversy, it is clear that the festival continues to captivate and delight visitors with its imaginative creations each year.