Here are 9 of the stupidest things politicians did or said in 2015

We're almost at the end of 2015, a year in which the Tories secured a majority government, the Lib Dems imploded and a little known backbench MP became the leader of Her Majesty's Opposition against all the odds.

While the centre-ground in Europe is being torn apart, on the other side of the Atlantic, a rich old white guy is vying for power by offending almost everyone.

But for all Donald Trump's gaffes, and god knows there have been a few, he's not the only politician to have put his foot in it this year.

Here are nine of the stupidest things politicians have done in 2015.

1. Merry Gun-mas

It's Christmas, so we'll start with a seasonal one. Republican politician Michelle Fiore shared this gun-laden Christmas card, despite the fact that there's been over 350 more gun massacres in America this year. Her young children are even holding firearms, and there's even a detailed key to their weapons of choice. Alright then.

2. 'Refugees stopped me getting my haircut'

Conservative MP Adam Holloway epitomised the awkward reality of "first world problems" when he claimed that he was unable to get a haircut as a result of the refugee crisis. Ok then...

3. Ben Carson and the Holocaust

Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson is firmly in America's pro-gun camp, but he chose to justify that in the strangest of ways - claiming that the Holocaust would have been avoided if Jewish people in Nazi Germany had been armed with guns.

4. David Cameron offends the nation of Yorkshire

There were gaffes at the top of the UK too, when prime minister David Cameron was overheard saying: "We just thought people in Yorkshire hated everyone else, we didn't realise they hated each other so much."

And don't forget the Labour Party...

5. Ed Miliband + General Election + large stone tablet = stunning PR fail

It may have worked for Moses and the Ten Commandments but the heavily defeated Labour leader definitely regretted writing vague manifesto promises in granite... Presented at a car park in Hastings and later abandoned in an industrial estate in south-east London, the "Edstone" was described by London mayor Boris Johnson as the "heaviest suicide note in history".

6. The curious case of Kim Rose

Ukip's general election candidate for Southampton Itchen, Kim Rose, was investigated by the Police for offering sausage rolls to voters. Though no further action was taken against him Mr Rose was later condemned for quoting Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf while criticising the EU in a speech.

7. Labour's shadow chancellor actually brought Chairman Mao's 'little red book' to the House of Commons'

No, we still can't quite believe this happened. Chairman Mao's little red book had probably never set foot in the House of Commons chamber before shadow chancellor John McDonnell used it in his rebuttal of George Osborne's Autumn statement.

Turns out it allowed Mr Osborne to avoid serious criticisms and once again allowed the Tories to portray the opposition front bench as a bunch of "loony lefties".

8. The most confused Scottish politician of 2015

Now, if you are an elected member of the Scottish National Party you believe in independence, right?

Not so if you're Councillor Bill Bowles representative for Carnoustie and District.

His explanation for this unique dilemma is a golden quote:

I thought that after the referendum, the SNP were going to look to be a progressive party within the remit of being part of the UK.

"I mentioned that I didn’t believe that Scotland should be an independent country.

"The attitude to that was 'if you’re not for independence what are you doing here?"

Hmm, quite.

9. 'Quoting' Joseph Goebbels in the Commons

Conservative MP Richard Graham used a quote widely attributed to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels while defending the government's new surveillance bill:

If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

The Gloucester MP told i100.co.uk at the time:

Clearly absurd to suggest I was quoting Goebbels, who would have used German anyway.

Amazing how if you welcome plans to help the security of our country against terrorism someone in the media manages to bring in the Nazis. Surely you can do better than that.

Right.

Have we missed any memorable ones? Let us know in the comments below...

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