MPs Split Social Media By Dancing In Parliament With Strictly Stars
Some MPs have divided the internet after they were filmed dancing in parliament even as the crisis in the Middle East rages.
Parliamentarians, including the Speaker of the Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle, gathered in Portcullis House on Wednesday morning while Strictly Come Dancing stars Angela Rippon and Alex Kingston showed them some moves.
The event was meant to promote how dancing can boost health and wellbeing, but others have slammed the gathering for being insensitive.
Strictly stars visit Parliament to teach the Speaker and MPs how to dance
— ITVPolitics (@ITVNewsPolitics) March 4, 2026
The event was held to promote the health and wellbeing benefits of dancing pic.twitter.com/d5gGcZRZUs
Since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, Tehran’s retaliatory strikes have pulled the whole of the Middle East into disarray.
The UK is currently weighing up how to defend its own military base in Cyprus following an Iranian drone attack.
Keir Starmer has already given the US permission to use its British bases to target Iran, too.
International affairs aside, MPs have also come under scrutiny this week after the independent expenses watchdog announced their basic salary will rise by 5% to £98,599 in April.
So people have, naturally, been questioning the timing of this dance lesson while clips of jubiliant MPs have been repeatedly on social media.
“Why do the public hate us?” https://t.co/wBv1kOQRxB
— Matthew (@MatthewTorbitt) March 4, 2026
The optics of MPs doing Strictly Come Dancing in Parliament while the world teeters on the brink of World War Three is completely inappropriate.
— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) March 4, 2026
It says all you need to know about Westminster. pic.twitter.com/grx3hxTqTh
Your MPs are dancing in Parliament at the very moment migrants cross the English Channel.
— Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) March 4, 2026
Britain needs Reform. pic.twitter.com/80xM9Vd5i3
The Commons Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle and Angela Rippon lead a dancing class in Parliament’s Portcullis House with MPs. So while global conflicts rage and the UK endures a cost of living crisis, it’s heartening to see our MPs having a dance. FFS.pic.twitter.com/V4Ze6Rm1cF
— James Melville ???? (@JamesMelville) March 4, 2026
First. Optically, this looks bad.
— Bianco Zhivago (@Bianco_Zhivago) March 4, 2026
At a time when war is brewing in the Middle East and the mood in the United Kingdom feels increasingly fractured, seeing MPs ballroom dancing feels tone-deaf. https://t.co/uhsqhF8Pr2
Absolutely tone deaf. Appalling timing
— Melindi Scott (@melindiscott) March 4, 2026
Entirely normal behaviour when the world is at war. My parents shared fond memories of the newsreel coverage of Chamberlain and Churchill jitterbugging in the Parliamentary dance class of 1940. https://t.co/3lPl3nYEg2
— Keith Hann (@keithhann) March 4, 2026
Latest scenes from Parliament. Given the enormity of what is happening in the world presumably it will go viral, globally, and not in a good way as a neat symbol. Meanwhile, British defence spending is only 2.4% of UK GDP. https://t.co/LHvfc77VIF
— Iain Martin (@iainmartin1) March 4, 2026
But not everyone was against it.
Some social media users said it was time to “lighten up” and suggested voters actually like seeing their politicians prove they know how to have fun on occasion.
I think people having a pop at the MPs doing this need to lighten up.
— Richard Short (@EHOinExile) March 4, 2026
It's a light hearted event on a very serious subject and all the best to them ... even the dad dancers https://t.co/Uj6tThxSUj
Disagree with the takes implying this is indicative of why people don’t like politics. Look at the politicians people have warmed to - Farage, Rayner, Johnson (remember the zip wire), Polanski, Spencer: they’re politicians not afraid to show they have fun. The reason people… https://t.co/wAStrvHCAC
— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) March 4, 2026
Meanwhile others took the chance to joke about U-turns...something Keir Starmer has become very famous for, having chalked up more than a dozen since being elected in July 2024...
Strictly Come Dancing comes to Westminster
— Jack Blackburn ???????? (@HackBlackburn) March 4, 2026
A chance to learn about pivot turns from the experts pic.twitter.com/KC1PQpDDSZ