Don’t take it to heart, Dave. It has nothing to do with you being posh and English and a Tory leader to boot. It’s because you’re an adult, there’s a man taking your picture, and they’re kids.

When David Cameron walked through Wythenshawe, in Manchester, last week, Ryan Florence, a 17-year-old hoodie, made a trigger-pulling gesture behind the Opposition Leader’s head, his mouth poised in the enunciation of what could have been a very rude word. It was all captured on film.

With a bit of spin, it could be argued that Ryan was at least giving Mr Cameron the thumbs-up.

You couldn’t pull that one yesterday. As Mr Cameron walked through the Old City of Jerusalem, a girl not only gave him the thumbs-down behind his back, but stuck her tongue out as well. She also appeared to be about to break into a dance; whether it was mockery, or a celebration of his recent improvement in the opinion polls, who can say?

It was almost certainly neither; she does not look old enough to be au fait with the finer points of Westminster politics. The object of her attention was undoubtedly the cameraman who was recording his tour of the Middle East. Kids of all nationalities, backgrounds and religions are incorrigible show-offs.

Mr Cameron was on more serious business than drawing the fire of cheeky children. He met Ehud Olmert, Israel’s Prime Minister, yesterday and the two discussed Iran’s nuclear programme. Mr Olmert’s office said: “The Prime Minister told Cameron that he will again meet the Palestinian President very soon, in order to maintain an open channel of communication between Israel and the Palestinians.”

Earlier in the day Mr Cameron met Palestinian officials in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem, and planted an olive tree near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, on land that has been earmarked for Israel’s separation barrier.

Still, Dave, we don’t think the kid knew that.

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