POLITICS expert Professor John Curtice blames Margaret Thatcher for Willie Rennie pic stunts — and for everyone else’s crazy election photocalls as well.

The Strathclyde University academic traces the comedy campaign trail snap back to the former Tory PM.

9 Party chief hat it again donning pink cowboy headgear to support 2015 campaign to beat breast cancer

He said: “Ever since Margaret Thatcher cuddled a calf on a north Cornish farm in 1979, elections have been plagued with these attempts to create photographs that will get into the media.”

But some people can pull it off. And in Scotland, at least, Lib Dem chief Willie Rennie is king — even if Tory boss Ruth Davidson has done her best to keep up in the past couple of years.

He admits his tactics are about getting exposure while at the same time putting out a serious message out on the back of it.

And Willie added: “It’s also about showing the wide variety of life there is out there.

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“Life is colourful, life is eccentric, people are funny — and campaigns should connect with real life.”

Willie, 49, is a seasoned political campaigner, He previously served as a Lib Dem media adviser before becoming MP for Dunfermline and West Fife until 2010.

He became a regional MSP in 2011, then surprised many by winning the North East Fife seat from the SNP at last year’s Holyrood elections.

And his victory followed a campaign where he became renowned — or notorious — for his wacky photocalls.

9 Willie proves he is always ear for voters with a quick check-up at medical centre in Edinburgh

The best-known was actually unplanned — when two pigs started bonking behind him at Gorgie City Farm in Edinburgh.

At the time, Willie was on camera explaining his addiction to silly snaps.

For many politicians, the ridicule might have destroyed them.

But for Willie, the shot helped him on his way to an unlikely win.

9 Pair of frisky porkers photobonk the Lib Dem leader while he gives TV interview on 2016 visit to Gorgie City Farm

Persuaded of the successful recipe, Willie has been back on the road for the General Election. And Prof Curtice explained the logic behind the Science of Silly Willie.

He said: “It’s simply to acquire publicity. A picture is worth a thousand words. If Willie puts out a press release, he’s not sure it’s going to get in newspapers.

“But if it’s accompanied by a picture of him wrestling a sheep, he’s thinking it might just make it.

9 Willie makes sure his campaign is looking shipshape as he poses on a boat in Anstruther

“Then he has some space to get his message out. It’s a hook to catch a mackerel.”

For this week’s Back to the Future stunt, Willie posed with a DeLorean owned by a pal of his wife. The Michael J Fox body warmer and shades belonged to Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton.

9 He shows his great links to local firms by holding up string of sausages at butcher shop in Hawick

And one of the press photographers turned up with a smoke bomb — so he “went along with it”.

He said: “It also connected to the SNP and time — that they’ve always got time for independence, and going back to a referendum.”

But he admitted: “Sometimes there is no connection. But there’s nothing more boring than photos with people in suits or hard hats.”

9 Daredevil Rennie is a high-flyer as he dangles off zip-slide at Go Ape

Willie recalled the time PM David Cameron was pictured outside the Peacocks store in Dunfermline in 2010 with just the letters “c-o-c-k-s” above his head.

Willie said: “You just need to chill out and not worry about those things. You could be unlucky or get ‘assassinated’ by a photographer at any time.

"You’ve got to enjoy life, laugh at yourself, and try to get a serious message out. It’s about mixing the serious with the fun.”

Willie’s strategy does work — the snaps of him in Marty McFly’s motor appeared everywhere.

9 Willie pawses for teatime treat with therapy dog Harvey in March 2016

But Prof Curtice stressed Willie shouldn’t go too far. He said: “You have to be careful not to become the subject of ridicule.

"But as things stand, he’s doing brilliantly — he wants to get across to people and he’s succeeding.”

Prof Curtice also said there was something about Willie that made it possible for him to pull off daft snaps where others have failed.

He said: “If Theresa May tried this kind of thing, she wouldn’t be able to carry it off. Willie is a relatively straight-forward bloke who’s always smiling.

"And he’s slightly self-deprecating. It therefore fits his personality — it doesn’t seem false.

9 Margaret Thatcher holding a calf

“Compare that to Theresa May. Watching her even eating a bloody chip, you kind of go ‘hang on, what’s this all about?’.”

So will Willie’s party be laughing on June 9?

The party chief said: “We’re going to grow — there are a number of seats where it’s very close.

“How far we get will depend on how far the SNP decline and how much we can convince other people to come behind us.

"I’ve been in winning campaigns and losing campaigns and this feels more like a winning campaign.”

9 Scottish Sun politics boffin Chris Musson

Comment by Chris Musson

THE Science of Silly Willie is simple.

The dafter he is, the more media coverage he gets.

In maths terms, silliness is directly proportionate to voter exposure.

But at some point, that line will level off.

There’s only a finite amount of column inches or screen time for the leader of Scotland’s fourth party – or arguably fifth, now the Greens have more MSPs.

The risk is that as time goes on, people will get bored.

Then, Willie will have to get sillier and sillier in order to make a splash.

And he will reach a point where be becomes so daft it starts damaging his reputation.

The danger for Willie is that the chain reaction has started – and it’s too late to turn back.

chris.musson@the-sun.co.uk

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