Alok Sharma became the latest government minister to butt heads with Piers Morgan this morning after he struggled to provide “honest and accurate” figures on testing.
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy followed in the footsteps of Matt Hancock and Robert Jenrick by fielding questions on Good Morning Britain following a six month hiatus.
UPDATE: You wait six months for a Govt minister… then get three in three days…Business Secretary @AlokSharma_RDG will be on @GMB tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/ewIvDBODAu
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 17, 2020
He had barely had time to fasten his seatbelt before several months of pent up frustration came at him thick and fast.
Morgan asked why, if we were well prepared, do we have the worst death toll in Europe after the number of fatalities rose once again yesterday.
‘If we were well prepared why do we have the worst death toll in Europe?’ – @piersmorgan
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 18, 2020
Business Secretary @AlokSharma_RDG says ‘based on what was known at the time’ the govt was prepared and pandemic ‘developed very quickly’.
Watch the interview?https://t.co/fzcHkA6S4k pic.twitter.com/bIAByMG5B0
Testing
The GMB host then tried to get “honest and accurate” figures over testing from the MP, which has been described as being “like nailing jelly to the wall” on social media shortly after.
Instead of giving figures on testing Sharma looked to skirt the question by giving figures on capacity, which riled Morgan all the more.
In 2 minutes @piersmorgan rips squirming Business Secretary @AlokSharma_RDG a new one, exposes the Gov’ts failure on testing & its attempt to cover up that failure in another master class in how to hold gov’t to account #GMB pic.twitter.com/oHZl3r08vz
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) November 18, 2020
Christmas
The issue of Christmas and a potential third spike was also raised.
Here’s what Sharma had to say:
‘It’s too early to talk about where we might be at Christmas but I want members of my family at the Christmas table.’@Susannareid100 asks Business Secretary @AlokSharma_RDG if up to 10 people will be able to gather for 5 days at Christmas.
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) November 18, 2020
Watch GMB?https://t.co/fzcHkA6S4k pic.twitter.com/mN7UlYx3Fp
Related: Medics at risk of burnout and weren’t prepared to see ‘so much illness and death’
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