Rory Stewart accused of 'manspreading' during BBC News TV interview

The race for the next Tory leader is beginning to hot up and you can guarantee over the few weeks that there will be many ups and downs for the candidates.

One person who has toed the line between social media genius and ludicrousness is Rory Stewart, whose unusual campaign has considerably bolstered his status in Westminster.

However, like most MPs he is prone to the odd slip-up which is definitely what happened when he spoke to Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC Six O'Clock News on Monday evening.

Although the current international development secretary spoke very assuredly about his campaign the way he was sitting has been likened to the social ill known as 'manspreading'.

Stewart's segment lasted just seconds on the program but his prominent leg spreading caught the eye of many people on Twitter who were more than happy to let him know that he had done wrong.

Bizarrely, Lord Ashcroft (that's right, 'the' Lord Ashcroft) called out Stewart but mistook manspreading for 'mansplaining' and caused a huge debate.

Goodness me...

Anyway, we're pretty sure Stewart will be a bit more conscience the next time he sits down on the tube or appears on national television.

More: Tory MP Rory Stewart's proposal for a 'National Citizen Service' has caused a huge debate online