Thread by @AndrewPRLevi

“Fastest vaccine roll-out in Europe”.

Really?

No.

Lies at Prime Minister’s Questions have become routine. A measure of the escalating, calculated trashing of the UK constitution & governance.

Take a look behind the confected hair arrangement, at the truth.

A 🧵/1.

“Fastest vaccine roll-out in Europe”.

Surely the UK is fastest on doses delivered, to date, per 100 people?

No.

Scotland is, though (just about, with Malta).

The UK, dragged down by England, fails that test. /2.

“Fastest vaccine roll-out in Europe”.

Alright, but the UK’s one of the bigger European countries.

It’ll be the total number of doses delivered that the Prime Minister was talking about.

No.

Not even close.

(But more than France. Lovely. Vive la difference!). /3.

“Fastest vaccine roll-out in Europe”.

Silly. Of course. It’s the number of doses per 100 people now being delivered daily. Right?

Calling that “fastest roll-out” is a bit desperate.

Still: a UK victory.

No.

Again, not close. (Even less so in absolute numbers). /4.

“Fastest vaccine roll out in Europe”.

When an English Prime Minister is talking, perhaps he means England?

We’ve already seen how helpful that is (not) to his claim.

But those boosters, eh? England’s the greatest at that?

Oops. Pesky Scotland again. /5.

“Fastest vaccine roll out in Europe”.

When you lie as an integral part of your personality, professional conduct & culturally assumed demand that you be untouchable, there are no boundaries. No self-control. Or shred of integrity or competence.

We donated the most?

No. /6.

“Fastest vaccine roll-out in Europe”.

Just one of multiple, blatant lies, from the government despatch box at Prime Minister’s Questions today.

Others included:

▪️“fake news”, to the claim 10% staff cuts are being planned at the Foreign Office (they are) /7.

▪️denial that it required Labour votes to get the Government’s business through last night, on Covid measures in England. (Good grief!)

▪️fantasy boosterism, relying on semantic sophistry, that the UK has the “best performing G7” economy (OECD data show it’s the worst) /8.

▪️the vague but, if taken seriously, easily countered claim that the UK is the “biggest spender on overseas activities of any country in Europe”. It isn’t. (Look e.g. at Germany). Unless, perhaps, those “activities” are overseas holidays taken by Mr Johnson. /9.

Which brings us back to the focus-grouped hair.

As authentic as the English aristocratic pose of a middle class, bullied scholarship boy.

Or the alt-right’s “Bill of Rights”. Needed to take back control. For them.

Or, indeed, the “fastest vaccine roll-out in Europe”. /10. End