James O'Brien's reaction to Boris Johnson's "breathtaking" comments in PMQs

10 June 2020, 13:58

This was James O'Brien's reaction to the Prime Minister's "breathtaking" comments in PMQs today - one of which was the most "remarkable thing he'd ever heard in the House of Commons."

Boris Johnson faced Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer in Prime Minister's Questions with more questions emerging on the government's response to coronavirus.

James was gobsmacked Boris Johnson accused the Labour leader of inconsistency: "This is the same man that wrote two columns about Brexit, one saying remain, one saying leave...literally wrote two columns in the same weekend and only decided at the last minute based, we now know, entirely on his own self-interest which one he would send to the Daily Telegraph.

"He's trying to accuse Keir Starmer by dint of being a professional lawyer who operated within the parameters of the professional legal system of somehow being unreliable or wavering."

"I was marvelling at that when I heard him describe America as a bastion of peace," said James, "this is an America where in the last week peaceful protesters have been gassed upon the orders of the President. Of course the question was about the qualities of the President which he has previously referred to in the past.

"Even that absolute festival of waffle and bloviation, even he couldn't come up with a quality of Donald Trump's which could be described as admirable."

Speaking in response to SNP MP Kisty Blackman's question of whether he still believed Mr Trump to have good qualities, the Prime Minister said:

“I renew what I have said many times and it is important for the House to hear it again. Yes, black lives matter, and yes, the death of George Floyd was absolutely appalling.

"As for the qualities of Mr Trump, let me say, amongst many other things, he is President of the United States, which is our most important ally in the world today. And whatever people may say about it, whatever those on the left may say about it, the United States is a bastion of peace and freedom and has been for most of my lifetime.”

James commented that then came the most "remarkable thing I've ever heard in the House of Commons."

"The man who has presided over countless avoidable deaths and who has so much blood on his hands that even Pontius Pilate's launderers wouldn't be able to help him, was trying to compliment himself for the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

"We are so far into the upside down now that frankly I'm amazed anybody can remember what day it is. That's just three bits of it," said a flabbergasted James, "That was breathtaking."