How much is a pint of milk? That was the famous question used to test how out of touch politicians were. I doubt Johnson would know the answer, he might think it is a trick question and that it comes served in fine china.
Angela Rayner, standing in for a Covid isolated Keir Starmer, kicked off this week’s PMQs by asking the PM how much a care worker is paid an hour. It is the pandemic priced pint question for the lockdown generation.
Johnson could have had a wild guess at the price of a pint of milk, a pound, a fiver, a farthing? But on the care home rate he had no response and nobody behind him to shout the answer through to him.
This was a woman from a working class background, with a northern accent, who used to work in the care sector. These people work for him, they don’t question him. He probably wondered what hourly rate he could pay her to shut up.
Corbyn
Today Rayner channelled Jeremy Corbyn and asked the PM about a message from a man called Keir who couldn’t come to work today, as he couldn’t get tests within 24 hours.
The PM replied that he was aware that Starmer had finally got a negative test and he should be here, which is ironic for someone who couldn’t be bothered to hold a COBRA meeting at the start of the pandemic until the following Monday as he wanted to enjoy a weekend away.
The fact was Sir Keir didn’t bottle it, it was the exact opposite, he released Rayner into the lead role and she excelled. He even Tweeted half way through to say she had done an excellent job. Put your feet up she has got this.
Not taking anything away from Rayner but pinning a red rosette on a donkey doesn’t guarantee you a seat behind the red wall anymore, but it would give the PM a good go at PMQs.
My glib comment aside, Rayner worked in care homes before she became an MP, Johnson got paid £2,300 an hour, got sacked as a journalist for lying and just exempted Grouse shooting from lockdown restrictions. If it was council estate vs country estate who would you rather side with?
Slaughter
Rayner’s questions were all about the testing crisis, Brexit was ignored again, she jibed that the “Next time a man with COVID-19 symptoms drives from London to Durham it will probably be for the nearest COVID test.”
Or maybe a 300 mile drive to slaughter primarily ground-dwelling birds in the North East. You wonder how many grouse shooting parties are going to spring up, just don’t kill any sentient beings and have a great day out in the countryside. Being a poor shot doesn’t mean you can’t hunt grouse.
To sum up the PM today his pre-planned final reply to Rayner included “we’re getting on with delivering the priorities of the British people”, which would be better if it hadn’t arrived in reply to a question about grouse shooting.
Who cares what a pint of milk costs or a care worker is paid when you are shooting wild birds? The Tories have got their, and their friends’ priorities right, but haven’t factored in anyone else.
This semi-skimmed thin skinned PM has gone sour and should be consigned to the dustbin of history.
Related – PMQs – Johnson’s rogue state is world beating at breaking the law