Cameron accused of 'crass insensitivity' after one-legged Lithuanians remark

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David Cameron was accused of a politically incorrect gaffe last night over a lighthearted remark he made about one-legged Lithuanians at a meeting with leading figures in the arts world.

Labour said the Tory leader was guilty of "crass insensitivity" after the comment, made at an Arts Council lunch on Tuesday, was leaked to The Mail on Sunday.

According to Arts Council sources, Mr Cameron told his hosts: "I hope you won't be giving grants to too many one-legged Lithuanian lesbians," prompting embarrassed looks all round.

Arts Council chairman Sir Christopher Frayling broke the silence by observing drily to his chief executive Peter Hewitt: "I thought we just have, haven't we, Peter?"

Mr Cameron tried to damp down the row last night, claiming he had not referred to "one-legged Lithuanian lesbians", but "one-legged Lithuanian dance troupes".

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Mr Cameron claimed his joke was not offensive

A Tory official said: "He was trying to make a serious point - that Lottery grants should go to the right causes and not to one-legged dance troupes. He did not refer to lesbians."

An Arts Council spokeswoman said that guests at the lunch recalled the remark, adding: "Their impression was that it was intended ironically."

Mr Cameron, along with Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and his deputy, Tory MP Ed Vaizey, were at the lunch at Westminster's Tate Britain gallery to discuss the party's arts policies with Sir Christopher, Mr Hewitt and Sir Nicholas Serota, director of Tate museums in London, and Royal Shakespeare Company executive director Vicki Heywood.

Mr Vaizey said: "David's quip about one-legged Lithuanians was meant to be a parody. It was his way of saying people have taken the mickey out of the Arts Council in the past for some of the Lottery grants they have made.

"It was said in a rueful way not unpleasantly.

"I think it was taken in good part."

However, Labour MPs contrasted Mr Cameron's claim that his joke was not offensive to his reaction to remarks by Tory frontbencher Patrick Mercer earlier this year.

Ex-soldier Mr Mercer had said: "If someone is slow on the assault course, you'd get people shouting, 'Come on, you fat bastard, come on, you ginger bastard, come on, you black bastard'."

Within three hours of those remarks being reported to him, Mr Cameron sacked Mr Mercer, saying: "The comments are completely unacceptable. We should not tolerate-racism in the Army or in any walk of life."

German-born Labour MP Gisela Stuart said yesterday: "This is typical hypocrisy from David Cameron, saying one thing in public and another in private. It just shows how untrustworthy he is."

A senior Labour official added: "At best, Mr Cameron's comment is crass insensitivity."

In 2004, the Arts Council was told to keep a tighter grip on spending by the Commons Public Accounts Committee after backing Lottery-funded projects that overspent by millions of pounds.

It was also accused of "elitism" for giving nearly £80million to the Royal Opera House.

Another official report criticised the "sloppy" way it spent £11 million of Lottery money on a pop music centre in Sheffield which folded.

There have been several controversies over Lottery-backed arts projects including a £700,000 handout to one artist who made a model train from 185,000 bricks and a £15,000 grant to another for building a 24ft-long earth sculpture of a child's face which became an adventure playground in West Lothian.

Families in Ladywood, Birmingham, protested when £100,000 of Lottery cash went to an art gallery displaying 500lb of potatoes.

 

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