15 astonished reactions to Laura Kuenssberg’s updates on the concerned NHS dad
We can’t believe there’s anybody left who hasn’t seen the heated confrontation of Boris Johnson by worried father, Omar Salem on Wednesday. His accurate description of the running down of the NHS, as well as the prime minister’s startling denial of the presence of press – in the presence of press – dominated social media for hours afterwards.
Boris Johnson dropped into @WhippsCrossHosp for a press opportunity – so I gave him a piece of my mind about how he is running the NHS based on the experience with my 7 day old daughter, who was neglected for hours last night. More here: https://t.co/DsBDvnhC51 https://t.co/vKPs3yzNHx
— Omar Salem (@OmarSalem) September 18, 2019
However, the only thing that can genuinely have been said to overtake the interest in the clip of the incident is the reaction of many across the media, most noticeably the BBC’s political correspondent, Laura Kuenssberg. Here’s what she had to say about it.
Another very, very awkward encounter for PM – taken to task by a parent on a children’s ward in London where he says repeatedly the ‘NHS has been destroyed’ – Johnson like rabbit in headlights pic.twitter.com/byRiXlD0ig
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) September 18, 2019
Turns out the man who challenged the PM is also a Labour activist
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) September 18, 2019
Followed up by the very oddly phrased …
This is him here https://t.co/77Hqqo9Avz
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) September 18, 2019
As well as questioning the relevance of the man’s political allegiance, many felt that with over a million followers, the tweet could well direct trolls to his much smaller account. Here’s some of the backlash.
1.
Me again. This is strange. Why is a bbc journalist with a million twitter followers, directing her followers to the account of man speaking his mind to the PM. Shall we troll him Laura? What’s happened to journalism? ‘Here! I’ve found him for you!’ Where has common decency gone? https://t.co/FEFsl3OJ7o
— Shappi Khorsandi (@ShappiKhorsandi) September 18, 2019
2.
We did it! We managed to turn a story about Johnson lying directly to camera about there not being any cameras into a dogpile on a worried man visiting his his sick kid in hospital! Good job everybody!
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) September 18, 2019
3.
Cool what party was the guy who lied to his face on camera though https://t.co/cAw2icsJf8
— Katie Spalding (@supermathskid) September 18, 2019
4.
Thanks Laura, next time any patient gets substandard care I'll make sure to check their political affiliation first before I listen to their concerns. https://t.co/E10RUJsCTc
— Dr Philip Lee (@drphiliplee1) September 18, 2019
5.
I do policy and law not politics because I do not understand politics because when a person shows PM is lying it is motives of that person which are attacked rather than lying PM even though it makes no difference what motives were, and so that is why I stick to law and policy.
— David Allen Green (@davidallengreen) September 18, 2019
6.
"And if anyone asks you any difficult questions, I'll just tell everyone they're a Labour activist." pic.twitter.com/brxtumXk88
— Tripe Marketing Board (@TripeUK) September 18, 2019
7.
People are very much mistaken if they think a silly hashtag is going to make me sack my Head Of Public Relations. #sacklaurakuenssberg pic.twitter.com/xz4QBuSImI
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) September 18, 2019
8.
Laura Kuenssberg is a leading political correspondent. Her job is to hold ministers to account when they, say, deliberately underfund our NHS.
Licence fee holders do NOT pay her £250k-a-year to dog-pile a parent of a sick child for holding a Tory to account.#SackLauraKuenssberg
— Ben (@BenJolly9) September 18, 2019
