Sky News host erupts at Robert Jenrick ‘Boris is gaslighting the whole nation!’

Boris Johnson is ‘gaslighting the nation’ in pandemic claims host

Boris Johnson insisted he takes “full responsibility” for the response to the pandemic and said “we did everything we could” to minimise suffering as the Government’s figure for coronavirus deaths passed 100,000. Separate data published by statistics agencies places the toll at 115,000. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick defended the Prime Minister when grilled over the figures.

Sky’s Niall Paterson said: “The words of the Prime Minister on a day when 100,000 people have died with Covid-19 cumulatively.

“His words are important. He would have thought long and hard about those words.

“He came in front of the cameras and said, ‘we have done everything that we possibly could’.

“He talked about exhausted the ‘thesaurus of misery’.

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Niall Paterson erupted at Robert Jenrick for the Government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic (Image: SKY)

Robert Jenrick defended the Prime Minister when grilled over the figures (Image: SKY)

“A total dictionary move from the Prime Minister at a time when what we want is for someone to say, ‘look we are trying our hardest, mistakes have been made and some of those mistakes would have lead to some of those numbers in that 100,000 total’.

“Instead it feels like the Prime Minister is gaslighting the entire nation at the moment.”

Mr Jenrick replied: “No, I think that’s extremely unfair what you said that.

“The Prime Minister has said he takes personal responsibility for the steps that have been taken.

Robert Jenrick said Mr Paterson’s comments were ‘unfair’ (Image: SKY) Boris Johnson announces UK surpasses 100,000 Covid deaths

“Nobody has worked harder than the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister was particularly ill himself from Covid.

“He’s worked extremely hard to protect the country through this period but there were no easy answers.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the milestone was a “national tragedy” and accused the Government of being “behind the curve at every stage” in its response to the pandemic, ahead of grilling Mr Johnson during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

Home Secretary Priti Patel is widely expected to announce a limited plan for new arrivals in England to quarantine in hotels when she later details to the House of Commons border protections against new coronavirus variants arriving from overseas.

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Coronavirus latest (Image: EXPRESS)

The Times reports Ms Patel had pushed for a temporary closure of the UK’s borders to stop the spread of the variants but she was overruled by the PM.

Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press conference: “I think on this day I should just really repeat that I am deeply sorry for every life that has been lost and of course as I was Prime Minister I take full responsibility for everything that the Government has done.

“What I can tell you is that we truly did everything we could, and continue to do everything that we can, to minimise loss of life and to minimise suffering in what has been a very, very difficult stage…

“And a very, very difficult crisis for our country, and we will continue to do that, just as every government that is affected by this crisis around the world is continuing to do the same.”