David Cameron today hailed Nelson Mandela as a ‘towering figure’ as Parliament cleared its agenda for eight hours of tributes to the former South African president.
But the Prime Minister’s moving homage to Mr Mandela’s ‘enduring place in history’ risked being undermined when he tweeted during the opening speeches.
Just minutes after the Commons session began, Mr Cameron’s official account released a picture of himself, with ITV’s Little Ant and Dec admiring a reindeer.
Tributes: Prime Minister David Cameron hailed Nelson Mandela as a 'towering figure' as he gave the first of eight hours of speeches in the Commons
Gaffe: As Labour leader Ed Miliband began his tribute to Mr Mandela, Mr Cameron's Twitter account posted this picture of a reindeer
Addressing a packed House of Commons, Mr Cameron told MPs: ‘Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our lifetime - a pivotal figure in the history of South Africa and the world - and it is right that we meet in this Parliament to pay tribute to his character, his achievements and his legacy.’
It is the first time that MPs have met since Mr Mandela’s death was announced on Thursday night.
In the first speech of the day, Mr Cameron said: ‘When looking back over history, it can be easy to see victories over prejudice and hatred as somehow inevitable.
‘As the years lengthen and events recede, it can seem as though a natural tide of progress continually bears humanity ever upwards away from brutality and darkness and towards something better.
‘But is not so. Progress is not just handed down as a gift, it is won through struggle: …the struggle of men and women who believe things can be better, who refuse to accept the world as it is, but dream of what it can be.
‘Nelson Mandela was the embodiment of that struggle. He did not see himself as a helpless victim of history, he wrote it.’
Mr Cameron recalled meeting Mr Mandela when Tory opposition leader in 2008 on a visit to London
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