Thread by @StefSimanowitz

1/. “As far as I’m concerned, this completely answers the question” says @trussliz after refusing to answer @JayneSeckerSky’s question three times.

Liz Truss & the entire Cabinet appear to have been ‘media-trained’ to answer questions dishonestly. #Ridge

2/. The purpose of media training should be to help people to communicate their message

I always tell people I train to:
- answer the question
- tell the truth

These Ministers do the opposite

As viewers, we end up shouting at the TV or switching it off!

3/. Too often over the past year, Ministers have been allowed to not just sidestep questions, but blatantly lie

For example, whenever a Minister claims that “no one knew about asymptomatic transmission ‘til May”, it’s a lie

They knew about it January.

4/. For more than a year, the govt have been allowed to get away with claims that they that “stuck to the science”

This despite the fact that they ignored key science, like asymptomatic spread, whilst championing unscientific concepts like “behavioural fatigue” & #HerdImmunity.

5/. On 13/5, a @Telegraph article warned: “Anyone questioning govt #COVID strategy is a danger to us all”

But transparency isn’t a privilege or gift bequeathed to a grateful citizenry by a benign govt

It is our fundamental right to see & scrutinise decisions made on own behalf.

6/. Whilst speculation over who paid for refurnishing @BorisJohnson’s flat may grip the media, it is like calling out a plumber to fix a dripping tap, when the sluice gates have been ripped off the dam

Let’s focus on #Palantir, #PalantirPlan & #GenomeUK

7/. BorisJohnson's vanishing texts on Covid lobbying is related to 2 @Foxglove cases including #Palantir's NHS data deals

The #PalantirPlan👇 shows how the company that rprtdly taught #CambridgeAnalytica how to scrape data, appears to be part in of a much bigger global strategy.