GA Ponsonby: UK Foreign Office ridiculed after embarrassing Forth Bridge blunder

New Forth Road "Queensferry Crossing" Bridge.
Note older road bridge overlapped just behind to left, 
and glimpse of rail bridge on far left.

Foreign Office ridiculed after embarrassing Forth Bridge blunder

by GA Ponsonby (29 Nov 2016)

The UK Foreign Office has been ridiculed after confusing the 126 year old Forth Rail Bridge with the new Replacement Crossing.

Social media users initially thought a spoof Twitter account was behind an image of the iconic red steel structure alongside text which read: 

“Opening in 2017, the 2.7 km Queensferry Crossing will be the longest 3 tower cable-stayed bridge in the world”

Beneath the text was a Union flag logo with a slogan which read: 

‘DESIGN IS GREAT Britain’.

However it quickly became apparent that the tweet wasn’t in fact a spoof, but was indeed the official twitter account of the Foreign Office.  The blunder quickly circulated amongst pro-independence twitter users with many expressing disbelief. Others mocked the blunder by posting spoof images of other bridges claiming these were in fact the replacement crossing:

The attempt by the UK Foreign Office to claim credit for the replacement bridge, which has been funded entirely by the Scottish Government, was also ridiculed.  SNP MSP Christina McKelvie tweeted: 

“not only is it the wrong bridge it’s nothing to do with the UK Gov…… #Riddy”.

Despite the blunder, the Foreign Office has yet to delete its tweet.

by GA Ponsonby INDYREF2

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