5 of the most ridiculous things the Tories have said this week

In the week which saw Boris Johnson unveil his “roadmap” out of lockdown, Conservative MPs also made the news for “ridiculous” and “batsh*t” reasons.

As attention turned to one of the first major steps of exiting lockdown – sending children back to school on 8 March – a visit to Sedgehill Academy in southeast London saw the prime minister end up in the classroom.

It was here when Johnson reflected on his journalism career, making a claim to pupils that reporters are “always abusing people”.

He said: “Not that you want to abuse them or attack them, but you are being critical, where maybe you feel sometimes a bit guilty about that. Maybe you have not put yourself in the place of the person you are criticising, and so I thought I would give [politics] a go.”

The comments soon raised eyebrows, however, when members of the public pointed out Johnson’s previous remarks about “flag-waving piccaninnies”, “tank-topped bum boys” and comparing Muslim women to “letterboxes”.

Meanwhile, education secretary Gavin Williamson was mocked by Good Morning Britain’s Piers Morgan after the politician said an interview with schoolchildren “was by far the most enjoyable”.

The South Staffordshire MP tweeted the comments on Wednesday, when he shared a clip of his interview with students from Broadclyst Primary School in Devon.

“PS [Piers Morgan] and [Susanna Reid] you’ve got some very talented stand-ins waiting in the wings,” he added.

The tweet prompted Morgan to reply: “Indeed. Ps you seem a lot more comfortable with that age group of interrogator, Mr Secretary.”

Williamson wasn’t the only minister to come under fire from Morgan this week, though, with the journalist also clashing with Matt Hancock, the health secretary.

On Tuesday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, Hancock said he should be on the breakfast programme “thanking my team” because “they work so hard”.

Morgan quickly interrupted and said: “You and your team have resided over a woeful handling of the pandemic that has led to us having the worst death toll in Europe – 130,000 people dead.

“So I’m sorry if my first thought when you come on here is not to thank you and your team for your brilliant handling of the pandemic, as I don’t think 130,000 deaths shows that you’ve handled it well.”

Alongside the government’s health and education policies facing scrutiny this week, the prime minister was ridiculed for “bizarre” comments about climate change to the UN Security Council.

In his address to global leaders, Johnson said: “It is absolutely clear that climate change is a threat to our collective security and the security of our nations.

“I know there are people around the world who will say this is all kind of ‘green stuff’ from a bunch of tree-hugging tofu munchers, and not suited to international diplomacy and international politics.

“I couldn’t disagree more profoundly.”

Reporting on the meeting, Climate Home News reporter Joe Lo tweeted: “[He] says he disagrees with that characterisation. So why mention it?

“Will strike the rest of the world as bizarre.”

It wasn’t the only odd remark from Johnson this week, however, as reports surfaced that the prime minister has backed “batsh*t” plans to build a “roundabout” beneath the Isle of Man.

The proposals, revealed by The Times, would see three tunnels built under the Irish Sea, connecting Northern Ireland to Scotland and England.

The “roundabout” is the latest idea from Johnson to involve bridges. While running for party leader in 2018, the MP suggested one to connect Scotland and Northern Ireland together, in a plan welcomed by the Democratic Unionist Party.

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