David Cameron’s search for a global deal on corruption took an embarrassing turn on Tuesday after he insulted two of the key countries that have agreed to attend a summit this week.
The prime minister, seemingly unaware of a rolling news camera just feet away while he spoke to Queen Elizabeth at a function, described Nigeria and Afghanistan, whose presidents are both taking part in his corruption meeting in London on Thursday, as “possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world”.
A spokesman for the Nigerian presidency shot back, accusing Mr Cameron of “looking at an old snapshot” of the country, whose recently-elected president, Muhammadu Buhari, has pledged to fight corruption.