Cameron Makes 'Twat' of Himself on Twitter with Duncan Smith Tweet

David Cameron likes to be seen as in touch with the latest technology, but he obviously needs to swot up his social media skills by learning who his real friends are on Twitter.

The PM suffered a bad lapse on Twitter while trying to support Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith following his bruising encounter on Radio 4's Today programme over benefits reform.

But instead of reaching out to Duncan Smith, the PM instead endorsed a parody Twitter account, @IDS_MP, which mocks the cabinet minister, using plenty of bad language in the process. One of its milder recent tweets reads: "I've always supported a mansion tax. Your tax buys my mansion. Chin chin!"

Cameron included @IDS_MP in a tweet which read: 'We're rolling out a cap on Benefits today - @IDS_MP and I are determined to make work pay, and help the UK compete in the #GlobalRace."

Cameron's mistaken endorsement of the profane Twitter account was retweeted hundreds of times by other users.

Before joining Twitter, the PM set out his reservations about it during a radio interview. He said: "Politicians do have to think about what we say. Too many tweets might make a twat."

Following the mistaken missive, @IDS_MP got in touch with Cameron, writing in typical style: "Chin chin Dave. Round mine for a Pimms later?"

Closer inspection of the account the Prime Minister tweeted would have revealed it was not his Cabinet colleague. The Twitter biography includes the phrase 'Parodia Spucatum tauri' - which is a foul-mouthed admission of its bogus identity in Latin.