Chris Whitty’s takedown of this Tory MP over Covid was as brutal as it was unfailingly polite
England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty has been answering questions from MPs about Omicron today.
Whitty appeared via video link to members of a Commons select committee and one question in particular stood out.
It came from the Conservative MP for Watford, Dean Russell, who shared comments he’d heard from other people that the country had got its priorities wrong when it came to Covid and was perhaps putting too much emphasis on the pandemic compared to other things.
And Whitty’s response went viral because it managed to be unfailingly polite and totally brutal at the same time.
“This is sometimes said by people who have no understanding of health at all… and when they say it, it’s usually because they want to make a political point.”
Prof. Chris Whitty responds to concerns that the NHS is prioritising Covid other serious health issues such as cancer. pic.twitter.com/tlvsYM3YI5
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) December 16, 2021
And here’s the transcript.
Boom.
“This is sometimes said by people who have no understanding of health at all… and when they say it, it's usually because they want to make a political point.”
Whitty on scorching form.
The way to protect general health care is to control covid.
— Kit Yates (@Kit_Yates_Maths) December 16, 2021
Crystal clear and very assertive coming from a mild mannered man https://t.co/XzafHPUw6N
— Fionna O'Leary, 🕯🇪🇺 (@fascinatorfun) December 16, 2021
Spot on from @CMO_England. We are trying our utmost to do our best for *all* patients. We simply can’t help everyone if we’re overrun with Covid.
Only disingenuous commentators pretend otherwise. And that’s putting it politely. https://t.co/PicT5L1YJD
— Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) December 16, 2021
“inversion of reality” how a professional scientific communicator implies something is total bollocks
— Nick McAteer (@nickmcateer) December 16, 2021
Chris Whitty politely destroys a Tory MP bravely asking an idiotic question on behalf of fellow idiots. #covidiots #omicron pic.twitter.com/dbo5S5YAnh
— Brendan May (@bmay) December 16, 2021
https://twitter.com/drphilhammond/status/1471483989273817095?s=20
This is a quite superb response from Prof Whitty. https://t.co/QYzJUhJJWU
— Rupert Beale (@bealelab) December 16, 2021
Whitty saying what everyone wants to pic.twitter.com/V0tpfdgb9l
— Ben White (@drbenwhite) December 16, 2021
To conclude …
I bet he wished he’d never asked that daft question https://t.co/ymlL8e9ay9
— Angela Eagle DBE (@angelaeagle) December 16, 2021
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A Tory MP told Chris Whitty to stay out of science – only 9 responses you need
Source Twitter @Channel4News
