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Boris Johnson calls Keir Starmer 'Captain Hindsight' during grilling over care home comments in PMQs

PA
PA

Boris Johnson has called Sir Keir Starmer “Captain Hindsight” after the Labour leader berated the Prime Minister over his controversial care home comments.

In a fiery PMQs on Wednesday, Sir Keir called on Mr Johnson to apologise for saying on Monday that "too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures" during the coronavirus outbreak.

Sir Keir said the Prime Minister “insults” those on the frontline, described him as “flippant” and accused him of “ducking responsibility” over care homes.

Despite being asked twice to apologise by Sir Keir, the Prime Minister avoided saying sorry.

Downing Street has said Mr Johnson was pointing out that not enough was known about Covid-19 in the early stages of the outbreak.

Gesturing to the Labour leader, Mr Johnson told the Commons: “He keeps saying that I blamed or try to blame care workers and that is simply not the case.

"The reality is that we now know things about the way coronavirus is passed from person to person without symptoms that we just didn't know.

"Perhaps Captain Hindsight would like to tell us whether he knew that it was being transmitted asymptomatically."

Mr Johnson said the “last thing” he wanted to do is blame care workers for what had happened, adding: “When it comes to taking blame, I take full responsibility for what has happened."

Sir Keir said Mr Johnson's answer was "not an apology and it just won't wash". He said the PM must understand how “raw” it was for those on the frontline and those who had lost loved ones.

He added: "By refusing to apologise the Prime Minister rubs salt into the wounds of the very people that he stood at his front door and clapped.

"The Prime Minister and the Health Secretary must be the only people left in the country who think they put a protective ring around care homes. Those on the front line know that wasn't the case."

The Labour leader said the PM had caused “huge offence” through his comments and added: “Overall around one in 20 care home residents are estimated to have died from the virus. It is chilling. These are extraordinary numbers. Yet the Prime Minister has consistently ducked responsibility for this.”

Sir Keir also quoted Mark Adams who runs a social care charity who described the Government's response to care homes as an "absolute travesty of leadership".

Mr Johnson's remarks were branded a "real slap in the face" for care workers by the Independent Care Group, while another sector leader said the words were "clumsy and cowardly".

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