Dave the Chameleon, an actor dressed up and sent by Britain's governing Labour Party to trail opposition Conservative leader David Cameron. (Steve Parsons/AP)
London - Leapin' lizards! British politics is going to the reptiles.
The governing Labour Party has been sending an actor dressed as a big, blue chameleon to trail opposition Conservative leader David Cameron.
The political symbolism is obvious, but some say it could backfire - the creature may be too cute for the criticism to stick.
"We're cheered to see him because he's just so sweet," said Gabby Bertin, a Cameron spokesperson, on Wednesday.
Cameron, 39, poses the biggest threat Prime Minister Tony Blair has faced from an opposition leader since he came to power in 1997.
The Tories have got a boost in the polls since Cameron took charge in December and support for Labour has been slipping badly - although that may say more about voters' negative feelings toward the prime minister than their fondness for Cameron.
The new leader is trying to overhaul his long-sidelined party's image as out of touch with ordinary voters.
'Flip-flops' on issues
He's pulling the Tories to the centre and pushing issues like the environment, to which they previously paid little attention.
Labour accuses him of changing his views to appeal to whatever audience he happens to be addressing.
It sent "Dave the Chameleon" - who made his debut in a cartoon ad ahead of last month's local elections - to distribute leaflets outside a speech Cameron gave on Tuesday, complete with a bike helmet, a nod to the politician's fondness for cycling.
"He flip-flops from one position to another, depending on whatever he thinks you want to hear," said one Labour message.
Cameron has responded lightheartedly.
Too cute for hate figure
He said when the campaign ad appeared that the chameleon had become his young children's favourite cartoon character. He jokingly addressed a group of journalists as "my fellow reptiles".
Times columnist Ann Treneman warned that Labour's effort to skewer Cameron with humour wouldn't work.
"The main problem with the lizard is that it is too cute to become a hate figure," she wrote. "Soon people will be wanting its autograph."
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