Kate Plummer
May 05, 2021
The mayoral election was but a day away. All the candidates needed to do was sit tight, try not to say anything silly, and wait for the people to go to the polls.
But Laurence Fox rejected any such suggestion in favour of having a fight with a doctor on Twitter – it’s not like people love the NHS or anything.
Yes posting on Twitter, the controversial candidate who is polling at 1% despite wasting spending a reported £5 million on his campaign, responded arrogantly to a doctor who reminded him of his electoral fate:
@LozzaFox @SadiqKhan Lozza literally the 1%— Dr Benjamin Janaway (@Dr Benjamin Janaway) 1620149406
He said:
I pay your salary chum. You lot should learn how to say thank you. https://t.co/Cq4bL67pl9— Laurence Fox ✝️ (@Laurence Fox ✝️) 1620150238
Oof.
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Somewhere in an office in Vauxhall, Fox’s campaign manager wept, trying desperately to lock him out of his Twitter account, lest he did more damage and ruined his chances in the polls further.
Anyway, people were thoroughly outraged by Fox, and told him so:
Laurence Fox is creating a brand out of gaslighting NHS staff😡 I spend my life advocating for them💙 His twitter f… https://t.co/1hROnZcpPL— Dr Julia Grace Patterson💙 (@Dr Julia Grace Patterson💙) 1620195485
If a migraine could take human form, it would probably still be a more pleasant human than Laurence Fox https://t.co/PVOxsdr7nX— Rachel Palmer (@Rachel Palmer) 1620168230
Laurence Fox, who hasn't had an acting job in years and has been dining out on his family name for decades, sneerin… https://t.co/hxZB50wRT2— Will Black (@Will Black) 1620167384
But this did not deter Fox’s desire to continue the PR nightmare - which of course could well have been a last minute bid for attention before the polls opened. After the doctor in question, Benjamin Janaway, noted people’s responses and suggested that Fox’s comment had backfired, he doubled down:
At this point I’m just grateful for the option of private medical insurance. I wouldn’t want to be treated by a pol… https://t.co/1zQ2X7CKm3— Laurence Fox ✝️ (@Laurence Fox ✝️) 1620155961
Cue more backlash:
@LozzaFox You literally chose a profession where if you did a good job you’d expect applause. You know, back when you had a career.— James Felton (@James Felton) 1620157965
@LozzaFox You are an absolute disgrace. The amazing thing about our NHS is that its brilliant staff would treat… https://t.co/OlJ5FmISI3— Siobhan Benita (@Siobhan Benita) 1620157798
It is not the first time the actor turned plonker has clashed with the health service. Last year he angered NHS staff when he boasted about breaking lockdown rules by hosting a lunch with friends:
On the day he launches his bid to become Mayor of London, we just realised we only have 380,000 more followers than… https://t.co/PC4o7caLwK— NHS Million 💙 (@NHS Million 💙) 1617116034
One of the more charming utterances he made in this argument was:
“If you can’t deal with a 99.9% survival rate virus, you aren’t fit for purpose. You don’t need protecting, my elderly relatives do. I also love your emergency care and will continue to pay for it. For now.”
Standing against the NHS is bold, we can’t deny that, and to do it twice within months is a surefire way to get Londoners on side. Too bad he has spent most of his campaign dodging a YouTuber who is trolling him, and hanging out at the pub.
On this occasion, Janaway tried to have the last word:
Okay bud. Go ahead. Ill keep treating those who are unwell and cant afford the cost. Healthcare should not be a rig… https://t.co/r5V5TmcQNk— Dr Benjamin Janaway (@Dr Benjamin Janaway) 1620156079
But after getting attention, Fox continued his tirade:
Seeing as I’m trending, I’d like to reiterate that the people of this country have bent over backwards to protect t… https://t.co/bHO9ClOEX7— Laurence Fox ✝️ (@Laurence Fox ✝️) 1620203077
And after the election took place and Fox lost his £10,000 deposit after failing to get 2% of the vote, Janaway returned to Twitter to stick the boot in:
Hey @LozzaFox Dont worry about my salary this year. Sorry about the 10k X— Dr Benjamin Janaway (@Dr Benjamin Janaway) 1620487934
We don’t blame him.
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