Clarkson petition gets video answer

The government has shown its sense of humour in a response to the 'Jeremy Clarkson for Prime Minister' e-petition that was posted on the 10 Downing Street website.

In a video on the 10 Downing Street YouTube channel, the government thanks the 49,447 people who signed the petition for making a "compelling case".

The video then takes the viewer inside 10 Downing Street, up the stairway past pictures of former Prime Ministers, before focusing on a mocked-up portrait of Clarkson.

It ends with the words: "But on second thoughts... Maybe not."

The 10 Downing Street spokesman told Web User that the video was "just a bit of fun" that a member of staff put together in his lunch hour.

He also said that future petitions could get video responses.

"This was a bit of a one-off but we wouldn't rule out further use of video as part of petition responses in the future," the spokesman told Web User.

The petition was accompanied by a Facebook group calling for Clarkson to be made PM, which has nearly 380,000 members.

The 10 Downing Street website was recently given a makeover to incorporate a stronger news focus and a dedicated multimedia player.

BBC Worldwide this week launched a Top Gear YouTube channel, offering clips from the popular show.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNy1w4DV5Hw
www.number10.gov.uk
www.youtube.com/topgear