Theresa May said ‘Simples’ in the Commons because of a bet that her aide had

The aide won tea at The Ritz

Last week, Theresa May had a particularly cringe moment in the House of Commons, when she quoted the catchphrase used by meerkats on the Compare The Market adverts. The wince-inducing faux-pas came when she told SNP leader Ian Blackford that "He should vote for a deal - Simples!". https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1100395166186307584 Now The Mail on Sunday has revealed the reported reason for it - so that one of her aides could win a bet over tea at The Ritz. According to the newspaper Seema Kennedy, the PM's Parliamentary Private Secretary, had a wager with Conservative MP Simon Hoare, over whether she could get May to say the phrase. The Prime Minister duly obliged, and therefore Kennedy won tea at the prestigious London hotel. https://twitter.com/MoS_Politics/status/1102149812282187777 Tea at The Ritz costs £58, or £77 with champagne.