The only 5 reactions you need to the punch that didn’t happen
After Boris Johnson’s disastrous interview with ITV’s Joe Pike, during which he refused to look at a photo of an ill 4-year-old sleeping on a pile of coats in a hospital, Health Secretary Matt Hancock was dispatched to the hospital in question, where members of the public angrily shouted at his cohort.
It would have been nothing more than business as usual for a Tory campaign visit, had there not been widespread reports – boosted by the BBC’s chief political reporter, Laura Kuenssberg and ITV’s Robert Peston – that a member of his team had been punched by a Labour activist.
However, they were forced to dial back on the story after this video surfaced.
Have video from Hancock leaving Leeds General just come through so you can see for yourself – doesn’t look like punch thrown, rather, one of Tory team walks into protestor’s arm, pretty grim encounter pic.twitter.com/hD1KwA72gG
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) December 9, 2019
Happy to apologiSe for earlier confusion about the punch that wasn’t a punch outside Leeds General – 2 sources suggested it had happened but clear from video that was wrong
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) December 9, 2019
Matt Hancock followed up the incident with this complaint.
Today saw concerted attempt by Labour activists to intimidate me and my team.
This is completely unacceptable at any time, particularly around an election.
We will not be daunted. We must defeat this aggressive intimidation.
The best way to do that is #VoteConservative
— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) December 9, 2019
Naturally, the punch that didn’t happen got a lot of attention, but these five tweets really summed up the shambles.
1.
He met some peaceful protestors annoyed that a four year old had to stay on a hospital floor and then one of his team walked into a finger https://t.co/2Hkqi7jFRu
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) December 9, 2019
2.
Just been violently assaulted by Robert Peston, Laura Kuenssberg and Tom Newton Dunn.
You don’t need to check whether or not this is true, you just need to tell a million people like some kind of amateurish, partisan fucking moron.
— 🏳️🌈 Merry ChristMax 🏳️🌈 (@SpillerOfTea) December 9, 2019
3.
That feeling when you decide to keep lying about an incident to distract from you forcing a 4-year old child with suspected pneumonia to sleep on the floor of an A&E. https://t.co/sLBlecEi1V
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) December 9, 2019
4.
So I’m hearing that Matt Hancock punched a four year old child with pneumonia & stole his phone. Is that correct?
— 🔶🔸 Lance 🔸🔶 (@lancewalton) December 9, 2019
5.
I work near the Leeds General Infirmary. Just saw Matt Hancock open a door and have a bucket of whitewash fall on his head, step on an upturned rake, and then get into a tiny car whose wheels immediately fell off while the horn honked. Disgusting tactics from Labour.
— John Gallagher (@earlymodernjohn) December 9, 2019
LBC presenter Shelagh Fogarty reminded people of the little boy and the PM’s reaction.
Just in case the ‘punch’ ‘sources’ were trying to divert attention from this….here is this…..https://t.co/wAMJ5Ssby5
— Shelagh Fogarty (@ShelaghFogarty) December 9, 2019
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Source Twitter Image Laura Kuenssberg
