James O'Brien's immediate response to Boris Johnson's New Deal speech
30 June 2020, 12:31 | Updated: 30 June 2020, 17:15
James O'Brien's response to Boris Johnson's speech
James O'Brien questioned why Boris Johnson performed a celebratory speech while the UK has one of the highest coronavirus death tolls in the world.
The Prime Minister set out plans to accelerate £5 billion worth of infrastructure projects to soften the economic impact of the coronavirus lockdown.
He used a speech to announce schemes to improve hospital maintenance, refurbish school buildings in England and refurbish prisons.
Speaking in Dudley, Mr Johnson said: "I believe in building people up: giving everyone growing up in this country the opportunity they need.
"Whoever you are, whatever your ethnicity, whatever your background, and there are certain things that are indispensable for that opportunity: the hospital you're born in, the schools you go to, the safety of the streets where you grow up."
Following the speech, James responded: "It's the triumphalism I can't get my head around.
"The first five minutes of that speech were like a lap of honour when we're in the midst of utter awfulness in terms of the death toll. We are among the worst in the world.
"He was talking as if he had played a blinder."
