PMQ: Labour Continues to Question PM Johnson's Competence
Today’s PMQ focused on the issues of testing capacity, especially for care home and essential workers, as well as a question from the Opposition of the Prime Minister’s competence.
After members of his household showed “possible symptoms” of the coronavirus, Sir Keir Starmer is self-isolating. Deputy Labour Leader, Angela Rayner, stood in for Starmer at the PMQs today.
Rayner began by reading a message from Starmer, in which the Labour leader drew the House’s attention to the ongoing issue of delayed and disorganised COVID-19 testing in the UK. On this topic, Rayner then made clear that while Starmer was able to stay home and self-isolate, many are not in the position to do so. In her words, “Many of them are the very people who are getting us through this crisis, like the care workers I used to work alongside.” The Deputy Leader then asked the Prime Minister if he could tell her how much a care worker in the UK makes hourly.
The Prime Minister was unable to answer the question. Instead, Johnson questioned why Starmer wasn’t here, as the former believed the Labour leader had received a negative test, and celebrated Britain’s overall COVID-19 testing record.
Rayner then proclaimed the “shameful fact” that an average wage in social care is barely over £8 ($10) hourly. She questioned the Prime Minister further, asking him why – despite having promised a plan to fix social care – no plan is in place.
Johnson did not explicitly respond to Rayner’s concern. He moved to draw the House’s attention to Operation Moonshot, the government’s plan to deliver fast mass testing in the UK, and continued to praise the UK’s testing capability. Johnson also stated that the UK was seeing an increase in demand for tests, and hence delays, because of how good the testing is – i.e. ‘More people want tests now that we have them.’
Dissatisfied, Rayner proclaimed “Time and time again he makes promises, and then breaks those promises,” in reference to the Prime Minister’s unfulfilled promise from early in the summer to provide a certain level and efficacy of testing. As well, Rayner did not let the Prime Minister’s blame-shifting slide. She made clear that Johnson’s blame of the public for using the testing was not an excuse for delays or faulty capacity – the government should’ve had a better plan in place and should've acted on that plan. She proclaimed, boldly, “Infections are rising. The testing system is collapsing. When you are the Prime Minister, you can’t keep trying to blame other people for your own incompetence.”
The PMQ then moved into questions from MPs from around the nation.