Looking at the omnishambles he presides over, I'm driven to the conclusion that if David Cameron were a Soviet-style sleeper, inserted into the Tory party in his youth on a secret mission from its enemies to destroy it from within, he could not have done a better job.

Meanwhile on Twitter, the hashtag #RomneyShambles was trending on both sides of the Atlantic.

For instance, @Pawelmorski's Tweet read: "Americans: This Mitt person is some sort of American Borat, right? #romneyshambles"

The hashtag is a play on "omnishambles," from the BBC TV series "The Thick of It," a satire of British government.

Not only have you got a…bent husband and a…daughter that gets taken to school in a…sedan chair, you're also…mental. Jesus Christ, see you, you are a[n]…omnishambles, that's what you are.