9 brutal takedowns of the government’s pie-in-the-sky – Operation Moonshot
During Wednesday’s coronavirus update, Boris Johnson described the government’s intention of creating the most comprehensive testing system in the world, testing 10 million people a day, describing it as a moonshot.
This is the definition of a moonshot.
“So what do you want to call it?”
“Moonshot.”
“Do you know what that means?”
“No, but it sounds cool.” pic.twitter.com/At2EIMqPBQ
— Daniel Krupa (@Krupa) September 10, 2020
On Thursday, more details emerged of the project. Grant Shapps confirmed that the technology doesn’t yet exist, scientists said it probably never will, and the government’s own studies suggested the cost would be upwards of £100 billion.
"Something that doesn't exist at the moment"
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps MP, admits on #BBCBreakfast the technology to carry out PM's moonshot attempt for testing doesn't currently exist.https://t.co/AoY0xfqZeL pic.twitter.com/GrIyyyVgMV— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) September 10, 2020
It’s a comfort that, as farmers and supermarkets warn that a no-deal Brexit would bring food shortages, at least there’ll be some pie in the sky.
Twitter was brutal.
1.
“I’ve called it Operation Moonshot and it’s definitely going to work and it’ll cost…. 100 billion pounds” pic.twitter.com/s7TxRVz28f
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) September 10, 2020
2.
Cummings explains the Moonshot deal to Johnson. pic.twitter.com/4shfl0rdbV
— Katy Brand (@KatyFBrand) September 10, 2020
3.
Pretty stoked that the team behind the Garden Bridge has a plan to spaff £100 billion of our money on a medical thing where key bits of the technology haven't been invented yet, without the involvement of any medical practitioners…
— Nathaniel Tapley (@Natt) September 10, 2020
4.
Not so much Operation Moonshot as Operation Bullshit, I reckon
— David__Osland (@David__Osland) September 10, 2020
5.
matt hancock announces he has allocated £500m on Operation Moonshot. That just leaves another £95bn to find…
— John Crace (@JohnJCrace) September 10, 2020
6.
Now that our official policy is to solve problems using technology that doesn't exist, we are today launching 'Project Time Machine', where we will travel back to January and avoid doing all the stupid things that got us into this mess. #Moonshot
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) September 10, 2020
7.
Operation Moonshot. OPERATION MOONSHOT. What were the rejected titles? Operation Fuck It I Guess It’s Worth A Punt?
— Adam Kay (@amateuradam) September 10, 2020
8.
The entirety of Labour’s 2019 manifesto would cost £20bn less than Johnson’s ‘moonshot’ which has been completely discredited less than 24 hours since he spoke of it. Has anyone asked where he’d get the money from? Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?
— Liam Young (@liamyoung) September 10, 2020
9.
That's OK. The technology for frictionless trade between Eire and Northern Ireland doesn't exist either and that all worked out JUST FINE. https://t.co/3QUNSfSGlV
— Chris Addison (@mrchrisaddison) September 10, 2020
Not everybody was against the idea of a moonshot, however, although not the one on the table.
Let's put the entire front bench of the Tories in a rocket and fire it into space.
There's a fucking moonshot we can all get behind.— Malcolm Tucker Esq 🕷 (@Tucker5law) September 10, 2020
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Image David Schneider
