Boris Johnson accused of being 'tin eared and making it up as he goes along'

Boris Johnson has been accused of being “tin eared and making it up as he goes along” in the first Prime Minister’s Questions after Parliament’s return.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the Prime Minister was “fooling nobody, even his own MPs have run out of patience” with the Government’s response to coronavirus.

And he cited one saying: “It’s mess after mess, his own MPs, U-turn after U-turn, it’s a fundamental issue of competence, God knows what’s going on, there’s no grip. His own MPs are right aren’t they?”

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The exchange was the first since the return of MPs after the summer recess, but also followed a number of U-turns by the Government, the latest of which came during PMQs when the Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that Bolton and Trafford will remain under existing coronavirus restrictions “following a significant change in the level of infection rates over the last few days”.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PAPrime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PA
Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PA

The two areas were due to be lifted out of restrictions today.

But Mr Johnson said: “This is a leader of the Opposition who backed remaining in the EU and now is totally silent on the subject, now has performed a U-turn. He backed – in fact he still does Mr Speaker – this is a leader of the Opposition who supported an IRA-condoning politician who wanted to get out of Nato and now says absolutely nothing. This is a leader of the Opposition who sat on the front bench whilst there was anti-Semitism…”

Mr Johnson’s comments were cut off by the Speaker who called for Order.

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Sir Keir called on Mr Johnson to withdraw his comments relating to the IRA, adding: “It’s the same every time, pretend the problem doesn’t exist, brush away scrutiny, make the wrong decision then blame somebody else.”

When asked by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle if he wanted to withdraw his allegation made about Sir Keir, Mr Johnson said: “I am very happy to say that I think… I listened to the protestations of the right honourable gentleman and think they have would have been more in order throughout the long years in which he supported a leader of the Labour Party (Jeremey Corbyn)…”

Sir Lindsay then signalled for Mr Johnson to sit down.

In response, Sir Keir said: “When the Prime Minister has worked with the intelligence and security forces prosecuting criminals and terrorists he can lecture me.”

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