Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson clearly thinks we all have the memory of goldfish and can’t remember the ‘Big Lie’ the ‘leave’ campaign told during last year’s referendum about putting £350m a week extra into the NHS once we left the EU – a promise they were already scrambling away from on the very morning after the referendum result.
Johnson revived the £350m idea in what is being interpreted as positioning for a leadership bid – which shows just what a bubble senior Tories live in.
The head of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) has wasted no time in administering the slapdown to Johnson that he so clearly deserves, in an excoriating letter made public today:
‘A clear misuse of official statistics’.
This is even more damning if you remember that David Norgrove is a recent Tory appointment, replacing the previous UKSA head Andrew Dilnot, who had frequently rebuked the Tories for similar abuses during his 5-year tenure.
It used to be said that the Tories were very efficient at replacing a failed leader – but it seems their incompetence and hubris have infected even that last bastion of their supposed capabilities.
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The chances of a Johnson-Gove comeback seems much more likely than some people expect. Just look at the articles accompanying his Saturday morning Manifesto in the Telegraph; it was all Hail Our Saviour. The right wing press will back them to the hilt once May has made her ” climb down” Speech next Friday – and Tory members will listen! The big question will be whether or not a GE follows a change in leadership. It ought to but the power of the right wing media can never be underestimated.
Reblogged this on sdbast.
Johnson has hit back at Norgrove, claiming he only said the UK would “take back control” of £350m. Irrelevant to his misuse of statistics. The net figure paid over is the payment of £350m less the rebate which equals £276m. So the most we could take back control of is £276m. Johnson is a liar or an idiot or both.
“The NHS is one of the great unifying institutions of our country. It is the top political priority of the British people and, under the leadership of Jeremy Hunt, it is indeed the top priority of the Conservative party…”
Says Boris Johnson, whilst they – the Tories – continue with their surreptitious privatisation of the NHS! “Top priority of the Conservative Party” he pontificates, and all his chums knew exactly what he REALLY meant!
Lying and deceit and duplicity is an inherent part of their nature, and comes easy to them (oh, that’s just reminded me that I haven’t listened to Liar Liar for a while, so I’m gonna give it a blast right now!).