worker calls out Covid response

  • Post last modified:May 31, 2024
  • Reading time:10 mins read


It’s day nine of the general election campaign and soon-to-be “former prime minister” Sunak has scuppered any pretence there ever was that he’s a decent, down-to-earth, every-day bloke. Not that he had anyone buying this anyway – as the Canary’s Steve Topple pointed out about his recent stunt with him:

trying to be like the common people with a £750 quid monogrammed rucksack

Sunak once more fielded questions from workers dragged into the prime minister’s general election campaign shambles. This time however, there were no Tory councillor plants in sight. Instead, one worker gave Sunak a lot more than he bargained for and showed him up for the disingenuous cunt he is.

Sunak’s hollow apologies

At a factory near Milton Keynes, a worker recounted to Sunak how he’d lost his mum during the height of the pandemic in 2020. He explained that he and his brothers had not been able to be with their mother in the hospital. Then, the worker put his earnest question to Sunak:

You probably remember that was the month all the parties were going on in Downing Street.

The month after, you attended a gathering where you got a fixed penalty notice. My question is how can anyone trust you or the party after things like this?

Sunak started out spluttering hollow apologies in what can only be his desperately pathetic prime ministerial death throes:

Well, I’m really sorry that you lost your mum, and particularly in those circumstances, because it wasn’t easy for so many people during the pandemic, the impact it had on everyone’s life.

I can’t imagine what it must have been for you not to be able to be with her at that time. It’s really tough.

I’m sorry for what was going on in Downing Street. For my part, I apologise that I showed up to a meeting earlier.

At this point, Sunak pivoted. Faux empathy expended, he turned to bragging for the cameras in election deflection mode instead:

As you know, I was working on things to help you and your business, and many other families like that.

In fact, it was probably in that same period of time that you got to know me as chancellor. Most of you didn’t know who I was before then and I popped up on your TV screens, announced the furlough scheme… hopefully some of you here benefited from some of the support that we put in place.

Partygate and Eat Out to Help Out

People on X have understandably expressed their contempt for Sunak’s shallow reply:

Others were incensed at the way he rapidly skirted over his role in Partygate:

What’s more, many were aghast at his sudden tone-switch to big up his pandemic response. This was particularly the case on his shameless name-drop of the furlough scheme:

Because this would of course be the same furlough scheme that excluded millions, “starved workers back to work”, and abruptly ended at the same time the government was ditching the Universal Credit uplift. Yes, that furlough scheme.

Moreover, on the matter of Sunak’s ‘hard’ work as chancellor, posters were quick to raise the deadly legacy of his flagship Eat Out to Help Out scheme:

In fact, Sunak’s glib sympathies gave social media ammo to rehash a recent particular revelation on just that from the Covid inquiry. On 23 May, cabinet secretary Simon Case told the inquiry that, alongside the government’s two key scientific advisors, he’d been in the dark about the scheme too:

Fake compassion

Perhaps Sunak is banking on the public developing short-term memory loss between now and the general election. If only there were a terrible virus he could spread to unleash a devastating wave of chronic illness with key symptoms of cognitive dysfunction. One with the bonus of mass disablement and death to whittle away those who’d vote him out, no less.

Granted too, the media cycle has already moved on to bigger, more important business, like:

  • Ed Davey falling off a paddleboard.
  • Ed Davey free-wheeling down a hill.
  • Ed Davey riding a rubber-ring down a waterslide.

Feigning compassion isn’t something the Tories do well, period. However, millionaire Sunak in robo-remorse mode should see him lose the keys to Number 10. quicker than the despicable shithead can say “but, furlough”.

Feature image via the Independent





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