Thread by @IanDunt

Hancock up in a second in the Commons parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/cf…

Hilariously contorted arrangements being made by Speaker on context, because the entire debate is about whether Hancock lied, but you can't state that he lied in the Chamber.

The absolute pinnacle position Hancock should have been allowed to hold is branch manager in a rural fast-food outlet.

Says nothing about the allegations against him, just a bunch of predictable write-it-yourself chuntering about the unprecedented situation and the govt's performance.

Jon Ashworth, Lab: "These allegations from Cummings are either true & if so the sec of state potentially stands in breach of the ministerial code & the Nolan principles. Or they are false, and the prime minister brought a fantasist and a liar into the heart of Downing Street. "

Qs from Ashworth: Is he ashamed he promised protective shield in care homes and yet thousands died? Why were people released from hospital without a test? Did he tell No10 in March ppl had been tested even thought there was no requirements until April 15th?

Why didn't he take a precautionary approach on testing? "On May 6th he claimed it was safer for them to go into a care home. 12,000 people had died. How can he justify that comment?"

"The truth matters. These families and the country deserve clear answers from the health secretary and prime minister today."

Hancock: "These unsubstantiated allegations around honesty are not true. I have been straight with people in private and in public throughout."

Hancock is talking about how often he has attended the Commons or held pres conferences. Nothing on the questions yet.

"But beyond all this, what matters remains the same, getting vaccinated, getting tested.... saving lives. That;s what matters to the British people."

Appalling that Hancock did not bother to address any of the questions at all.

Hunt gets up - he was chairing part of the committee yesterday. Says the allegations yesterday are unproven until Cummings provides evidence. Asks instead about the Indian variant.

The answers are not good. Hancock admits it;s spreading across the country. "It's too early now to say yet whether we can take the full step forward in June."

If anyone still thinks we're going to get rid of all restrictions in June, I have several bridges I can sell you.

Right, so: it's embarrassing that parliamentary arrangements allow an urgent question from the opposition, which the secretary of state can simply fail to recognise, let alone address, let alone answer.

However, in a broader, deeper sense, the responses on India is a confirmation of Cummings' basic argument: that they were too inept to handle the pandemic, failed to learn lessons and therefore kept making them again.

Remember the timeline. India announces variant of concern March 24th. Britain puts Pakistan and Bangladesh on red list April 9th. Announced it'll put India on it April 19th. Finally does it April 23rd.

That was how the Indian variant got into the country. We were coming out of lockdown. The warning was made repeatedly by experts. Nothing was done.

Now we're in a position where the route out of lockdown is at risk, and probably will not be delivered. It's possible we will go backwards and have to ban indoor socialising. Why? Because they made the same mistakes all over again: Too stupid. And too fucking late.

Hancock says "around one in ten" of those in hospital have had both jabs. Fact 90% haven't gives confidence about the effectiveness of the vaccine.

The trouble here is the one that experts laid out very clearly months ago: If you open up domestically at the same time as allowing travel, you allow for this situation to happen.

A tiny percentage of those with the vaccine still get seriously sick. A tiny percentage of those without it still get seriously sick.

And if there's enough transmission, those tiny percentages involve sufficiently high numbers that it once again threaten to overwhelm the health service.

Questions from a Tory MPs celebrating how wonderful it was of Hancock to visit their constituency. That's the degree of scrutiny we're talking about here after hearing allegations yesterday involving tens of thousands of lives.

Tory MP Jacob Young executes his scrutiny function by celebrating how Britain gave "the gift of hope to the world" and thanking Hancock for "his remarkable achievements".

Just cringing, fawning, obedient inadequacy. Not going to be able to watch much more of this I'll chew my tits off.

They should force school children to watch this shit, so they become sufficiently outraged they commit to doing a better job themselves.