Tories mock Labour's 'two years of chaos' with 88ft Bayeux Tapestry parody at party conference

From the Newshound archive · first published 3 October 2026.

An 88ft spoof Bayeux Tapestry will serve as the centrepiece of next week's Conservative Party conference, lampooning Labour's first two years in power through a series of satirical panels. The exhibit takes aim at the Peter Mandelson scandal, Angela Rayner's resignation, small-boat crossings, and Labour's refusal to commit to defence spending. Kemi Badenoch said she enjoys 'that sort of satire' and does not want Tories to 'take themselves too seriously'. One panel reportedly features an infamous photo of a vaping Rayner crossing the Channel in a dinghy.

One panel shows Mandelson in handcuffs — a reference to his Scotland Yard arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, which he denies.

Another depicts Starmer and Morgan McSweeney blowing a kiss goodbye to Mandelson after appointing him US Ambassador — before the Epstein links emerged.

The exhibit is far smaller than the 11th-century original, which at 224ft is currently on display at the British Museum on loan from France.