By Oscar Tollast
Iain Duncan Smith, work and pensions secretary, has said the reporting of the US election by UK media has been “appalling”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Pienaar Politics, the Tory Cabinet minister also said Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney had been misrepresented as “stupid”.
Duncan Smith went on to praise the former Governor of Massachusetts for his record as a governor and businessman, before pointing out the US deficit under President Barack Obama had “gone from something like 4-500 billion dollars to three or so trillion dollars.”
He said: “I think sometimes our reporting… particularly the print media have tended to convey a very shallow two-dimensional fight.
“The demonisation of Mitt Romney over here has been appalling really. He may have faults. All politicians have faults. But this is a guy who ran a state very well.”
Duncan Smith, meanwhile, reaffirmed that he wasn’t a “fan”, nor does he know Romney personally.
NewsLab attempted to contact Mr Duncan Smith for further comment but are yet to have a reply.
Mitt Romney received negative press on his last visit to London in July, commenting that signs for a successful Olympics were not “encouraging”. He also described Labour Party leader Ed Miliband as “Mr Leader“, suggesting he had forgotten his name.