Convalescent unHealth Secretary Sajid ‘Covid’ Javid may be regretting his decision to announce his recovery. Clearly his mind has yet to reach full strength.
Why else would he insult those of us who have taken reasonable care – throughout the Covid crisis – to protect ourselves and others?
That’s what he has done with this tweet:
(Yes, Mr Javid. I know you deleted it. Anybody on Twitter can delete their tweets. But anybody can take screenshots too.)
“Please – if you haven’t yet – get your jab, as we learn to live with, rather than cower from, this virus.”
To whom does this refer?
If he means himself, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak – all of whom ran like rabbits into self-isolation at the mere suggestion that they might have the virus, then he’s probably right.
He reckons he is fully recovered from the virus after just a week, due to “amazing vaccines”.
Catching and recovering from Covid makes for nice headlines – especially for a government that is desperate to shore up its crumbling claim that vaccinations are protecting us from the virus in the face of increasing infections and deaths due to the rise of vaccine-dodging variants.
But it also means unscrupulous (Tory) ministers may use such incidents to ‘nudge’ the population into misplaced optimism – especially when England has just removed all of its state-imposed social distancing and mask-wearing rules.
And now one of them has come back and insulted the people of the UK because the alternative interpretation of his words is that we “cower” from the virus.
Of course he has caused widespread offence.
Does he think the – at least – 160,000 who died, because his thoughtless government did not understand the seriousness of the pandemic and tried to ignore it, did so because they chose to “cower”?
Does he think the millions who are ignoring his government’s ‘Freedom Day’ flapgabble, continuing to mask up in public and keeping social distancing, are also cowering?
If so, let him make a statement to that effect, loud and clear, so we know that he is definitely trying to browbeat us into abandoning the reasonable procedures that have kept us safe.
When the infection and death rates skyrocket, probably from the beginning of August, we’ll be able to pin the blame directly on him.
As it is, it seems likely that plenty of people will blame him in any event – and not just the politicians who attacked him in the BBC article but ordinary people too:
Over 160,000 dead …think they cowered too.?
You are a banker.
You are not fit to be Health Minister but we know why you were fetched in..to manage the herd immunity gamble with lives.
Your tweet disgusts me
It is appalling in its lack of sensitivity
Money is king
Life cheap. https://t.co/kpG7PYlfBf— Bill P 💙 (@witandwhiz) July 25, 2021
In fact our health minister referred to common sense measures as cowering. They are enabling with every choice and dog whistle https://t.co/qgDdlqzeKc
— Sally-Anne Wherry (she/her) 💙 (@sawherry) July 25, 2021
Cower? Does he think the people people who died did so because they were weak?
You're the Health Minister, man. What the hell is wrong with you?? https://t.co/A7mfI7clJz
— Caerffili Vanilli 🏴 (@Welshwhippet) July 25, 2021
So Javid has shown his true colours as “Health minister” as the brave frontline workers and everyone else are trying to keep things going ,and earn a living! Yet inspite of all those we’ve lost because of their mishandling and corruption we’re apparently “cowering” Apologise now.
— mysharona29 (@sharoncove1) July 25, 2021
Yes, Sajid Javid should apologise.
But instead it seems he has deleted his tweet and may try to pretend that it never happened.
That is not good enough and neither is he.
ADDITIONAL: No sooner said than done:
— leftworks #WeAreCorbyn #IStandWithJeremyCorbyn (@leftworks1) July 25, 2021
Fair play for the apology but I don’t believe a word of the explanation. He was trying to push his government’s political slogan – that we must “learn to live with” Covid-19 – and did it in a clumsy and insensitive way.
We are living with Covid-19. Even the suggestion that we “cower” from it is toxic.
Source: Sajid Javid criticised for ‘cower’ Covid remark – BBC News
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