Downing Street has not denied claims that Boris Johnson told aides he would rather let coronavirus “rip” than impose a lockdown last year but said the Prime Minister’s actions were being distorted.
The Prime Minister is facing mounting allegations about his conduct and handling of the coronavirus pandemic following a public spat with former adviser Dominic Cummings.
A growing number of sources were reported to have told how Mr Johnson said he was prepared to let “bodies pile high” rather than order a third shutdown, an accusation which the Prime Minister has branded as “total rubbish” and which No 10 denied.
If that wasn’t enough Boris Johnson also suffered a major Commons rebellion as Conservative MPs urged him to compromise over who foots the bill for key fire safety improvements post-Grenfell.
A total of 31 Tories rebelled in a bid to support a change to the Fire Safety Bill aimed at protecting leaseholders and tenants from multi-billion-pound costs.
The House of Lords had amended the Bill to prevent remedial costs for work, such as the removal of unsafe cladding from blocks of flats, being passed on to residents until a statutory support scheme is in place.
But the Government reversed this change in the House of Commons, with MPs rejecting the Lords amendment by 320 to 256, majority 64.
So who is on Johnson’s side you ask?
Well health minister Nadine Dorries was willing to fill that chasm.
She Tweeted: “Labour MPs/journalists spent weeks attacking Dominic Cummings for his trip to Barnard Castle. Called him untruthful and many discreditable names. Screamed for him to be sacked from No10. Now they hold him up as a credible, trustworthy, unnamed source? Doesn’t wash with anyone.”
And this…
“Whilst journalists gossip in corridors and invent stories/sources to stop @Conservatives doing well in local elections, it’s worth remembering that with @BorisJohnson we are a world leader in #Covid recovery and doing what we can to help countries who are still suffering #India“
These comments took the argument right back to Johnson’s doorstep.
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