Boris Johnson has caused outrage over an allegation he would rather “let the bodies pile high” than go into a third lockdown.
No.10 said the report was untrue, with defence secretary Ben Wallace denying the allegations had merit. Meanwhile, ITV‘s Robert Peston claims that there are now three sources who confirm the allegations.
But while many people were arguing over who said what, it was Labour MP Zarah Sultana who got to the heart of the issue:
When the PM reportedly said "let the bodies pile high in their thousands", we had around 46,000 Covid deaths.
His refusal to prioritise public health & act decisively led to 80,000 more deaths.
Whether or not he said it, it's the outcome his actions led to. That's sickening.
— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) April 26, 2021
Scientists have said imposing lockdowns earlier could have saved thousands of lives. Instead, more than 120,000 people have died .
As a result, many have called for an inquiry into the government’s handling of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, an inquiry that will not be held for months.
Call me old fashioned but I think the smoking gun is *not* whether Boris Johnson did or did not say “let the bodies pile high in their thousands” – it’s that he did, in fact, let the bodies pile high in their thousands
— Grace Petrie (@gracepetrie) April 26, 2021
The allegation only adds to a slew or recent accusations of corruption and sleaze aimed at Boris Johnson’s government.
Sickening. Boris Johnson is a disgrace. pic.twitter.com/eBrAkds0AG
— Jonathan Ashworth
(@JonAshworth) April 26, 2021
For anyone wondering whether Boris Johnson would really say something like “pile the bodies high,” here he is talking about the massacre of people in Libya. https://t.co/eYgfP01Zmf pic.twitter.com/JS39k2oauE
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) April 26, 2021
Thousands on refurbishment
The prime minister is also dealing with accusations he received money from a donor to refurbish his flat.
Johnson and fiancée Carrie Symonds live in Number 11 Downing Street, which they have recently invested in refurbishing. Prime ministers receive an annual allowance of £30,000 to maintain their home in Downing Street, but many allegations put the amount spent by Johnson much higher.
Liz Truss, international trade secretary, said any money spent over £30,000 came from the prime minister’s own pocket. However, some reports suggest the money originally came from another source. The Daily Mail obtained an email from Conservative peer lord Brownlow in which he offered to donate £58,000 to the ‘Downing Street Trust’ – a trust that has never been formed.
On 23 April, former adviser Dominic Cummings alleged in a blog post that Johnson intended to get donors to “secretly pay” for the refurbishment, calling the plan “unethical” and “possibly illegal”.
Labour has since called for an inquiry into the allegations.
If you aren’t embarrassed and appalled by #BorisJohnson by now, then it would be pertinent at this point to carefully consider the sorry state of your low standards.#BorisJohnsonOut #NationalEmbarrassment #Corruption
— Johanna Saunders #FBPA
(@JohannaSaunders) April 22, 2021
Stench of sleaze
Greensill lobbying
Dyson tax concessions
Tory donors refurbishing Prime Minister's flat
PPE & Test'Trace contracts for cronies
Lacking transparency about PPE contracts
Priti Patel and Boris Johnson flouting ministerial code
Add more ….https://t.co/otiaj7sdu0— Prem Sikka (@premnsikka) April 25, 2021
Already under fire
These new allegations only add to the scrutiny the prime minister is facing over leaked text messages between him and James Dyson.
After Dyson received no assurance from the Treasury that his employees would not pay extra tax, he took the matter directly to Johnson.
The leak is just the latest in a long line of allegations of corruption and ‘Tory sleaze’, with the SNP’s Ian Blackford asking how many coronavirus (Covid-19) contracts the prime minister personally fixed.
With the combination of the allegations against him, the prime minister ought to be feeling the pressure. But after over a year of dishonesty in parliament, contract scandals, and a mishandled pandemic, it’s hard to know whether these new allegations will make a difference to Johnson’s position.
Moreover, these latest allegations only confirm what we knew all along – that this is a corrupt, sleaze-ridden government that cares more about how much money their mates can make than the lives of ordinary people.
Featured image via YouTube/The Telegraph
This post was originally published on The Canary.
