Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #TakeItOnTheChin

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#RishiSunak was at the heart of the #HerdImmunityScandal

Every epidemiologist, virologist & scientist made clear that - without a vaccine - #HerdImmunity was an “outcome” never a “strategy”

On 21/9/20, Sunak & Johnson skipped a crucial SAGE meeting to meet two lockdown sceptics
At the Sept meeting that Sunak skipped, SAGE had advised a circuit-breaker lockdown

Scientists had also warned against #Sunak's Eat Out to Help Out scheme which is closely linked to rise in #COViD19 cases & likely helped trigger a rise in deaths among ethnic minority populations
After #Sunak & Johnson were briefed by the anti-lockdown sceptics, they ignored SAGE’s advice to:

1. introduce a circuit-breaker lockdown

2. close pubs, restaurants & gyms

3. stop households mixing in each other’s homes

4. stop face-to-face teaching at universities & colleges
Read 5 tweets
1/. “I’m not really bumbling. I’m as hard as nails”

In this interview, #BorisJohnson shows that the “bumbling Boris” character is just that: a character

“My approach to politics & human nature is that you can make a good case for anything” #BorisResigns
2/. “#BorisJohnson put on a buffoon mask to become a celebrity, & now he can’t take it off.”
(J Lanchester)

“He seems to know that if we’re chuckling at him, we’re not likely to be thinking hard about his agenda, or doing anything to counter it.”
(J Coe)
3/. In 2020, I dug up #BorisJohnso’s #TakeItOnTheChin

I also found the smoking gun of the #HerdImmunityScandal - the #GreenwichSpeech

“There’s a risk new diseases such as #coronavirus could trigger a panic that goes beyond what is medically rational”
Read 12 tweets
The PM breaking #COVID19 lockdown rules then lying about it is serious

But there are MUCH bigger scandals than #Partygate (many of which I broke)

5/3/20 - #TakeItOnTheChin #HerdImmunityScandal

3/2/20 #GreenwichSpeech👇

15/5/20 #CarehomeScandal

👉the #DataGrab / #PalantirPlan
For me, my investigation began by chance on 8/3/20 when I stumbled on @BorisJohnson’s interview with @Schofe & @hollywills where he said “one theory is we could #TakeItOnTheChin

I clipped it & it went viral

Ironically, this was also the same day as first Briton died of #COVID
As #COVID19 hit, every epidemiologist/virologist made clear #HerdImmunity without a vaccine was an “outcome” not a “strategy”

Every behaviourist made clear “behavioural fatigue” was unscientific

Every expert knew about asymptomatic spread in Feb 2020

Then the penny dropped
Read 7 tweets
1/. In May, when we could only meet one person, the PM was drinking in the No.10 garden

When our Christmases were cancelled they we’re having parties

On 5/3/20, when the PM was saying “one theory is we could #TakeItOnTheChin” the 1st Briton died of #COVID19
(Pic @Coldwar_Steve)
2/. Around the table with @BorisJohnson are:

👉Dominic Cummings, with a glass of wine, one week before the #BarnardCastle story broke

👉Andrew Reynolds, the guy who’s investigating whether anyone in No.10 broke #COVID19 rules by attending parties

👉Carrie Symonds with the baby
3/. “You can meet one other person from outside your household in an outdoor, public place. But please keep 2 metres apart. Please stick with the rules & don’t take risks”

@MattHancock, 15 May 2020, the same day as the #DowningStParty & 2 days after the #CareHomeScandal broke👇
Read 5 tweets
1/. #BREAKING #COVID NEWSFLASH: The “official scientific advisers" behind the #HerdImmunityScandal were in reality were political advisors, appointed by politicians, who's advice had little or no basis in science (e.g. “Dr” David Halpern who has a doctorate in Political Science)
2/. Today’s findings are not new

The truth has been in plain sight from the start

We didn’t need #Cummings to tell us

Indeed, @Dominic2306 ‘revelations’ raised far more questions than answers

It was clear that #HerdImmunity was the strategy & they didn’t “pivot away” from it
3/. Every epidemiologist, virologist or public health expert will tell you that #HerdImmunity is an “outcome” NEVER a “strategy”

Without a vaccine it would involve sacrificing the vulnerable in vast numbers

This “strategy” would also clearly damage the economy

So why do it?👇
Read 12 tweets
The thread from April👇🏼 is especially relevant as 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿schools reopen w/ almost ZERO MITIGATIONs to ⬇️#coronavirus transmission/protect people.

Sept 1st 21 -“numbers” many English ppl have become immune to, a stark reminder of a @Conservatives brutal #LivingWithCovid “policy”.
1/16
Almost 36,000 new cases.
842 hospital admissions.
207 deaths.

That is roughly 37,000 individuals/families affected by #COVID, yesterday alone!
And potentially 3,600 more cases of #LongCovid to boot!

This is what #LivingWithCovid looks like folks!

@sajidjavid @JonAshworth
2/
And by pure coincidence this is what a lazy, ignorant, selfish, cruel & greedy “strategy” against a global pandemic looks like too.

It is NO ACCIDENT!

This is the purest form of #SurvivalOfTheFittest, a plan so grotesque I didn’t think it possible in modern Britain.
#SOSUK
3/
Read 17 tweets
The Prime Minister of Britain, @BorisJohnson
“Shall I tell you a terrible truth?”

In this footage of @BorisJohnson from 2013, the then London mayor says that, in politics, you can “make a case for any course of action”.

He also admits that he isn’t really “bumbling”.

He’s “hard as nails”.
“They cover up crime with scandal & covers up malice with incompetence. They want to project an image of being inept, instead of as having a cruel & well-defined plan.” @sarahkendzior

His ‘bumbling’ persona is a carefully constructed disguise

@BorisJohnson is very dangerous
Read 6 tweets
1/. Excuse me, but I’m confused

On 5 March 2020, @BorisJohnson told @Schofe on @thismorning:

“One of the theories is we could take it on the chin...allow the disease to spread through the population”

14 months & 150,000+ deaths on, WHY are the media shocked by these comments?
2/. The #TakeItOnTheChin clip I dug out on 8/3/20 went viral (2.5m views in 48hrs)

But incredibly it was ignored by the media

At the time, I thought the PM was floating the theory as a rhetorical device - a straw man he could tear down later - but I was wrong

He was serious!
3/. Not only did the mainstream media fail to report on #TakeItOnTheChin, but some tried to brand it “fake news”

“Fake news merchants on the cesspit that is Twitter are distributing a clip of the PM!!!” screamed @TheSun

The PM wasn’t “advocating” it, but he had clearly said it.
Read 7 tweets
“I think what the public wants, is for us to move on from this #BarnardCastle thing” said @BorisJohnson & his entire cabinet

What the public wanted was transparency & accountability

@maitlis deleted this tweet about @adamboultonSKY’s story

The media were largely silenced
By asking why #Cummings hadn’t been sacked by the PM, @maitlis was doing her job

Political journalists NOT asking this question were failing to do theirs

Cummings’ trip to Durham proved to be one of the 2 clear drop points in adherence to lockdown rules.
“Some journalists are sitting on explosive information that should come out in real time.” @joncoopertweets

Shrinking space for journalism is something we witnessed in the UK during the Iraq War

Is it happening again now?

Would journalists be able to comment if it were?
Read 4 tweets
In this chilling 2013 interview, @BorisJohnson admits he’s not really bumbling

“I’m hard as nails” he says

He also tells us “a terrible truth about politics & human nature”

That you can “make a good case for any course of action.” #HerdImmunity #COVID19
When the subject moves to ethics, @BorisJohnson becomes more guarded

Asked whether he believes one "can derive the ethics from the science" he avoids answering

Perhaps he’s aware that discussions of genomics can easily slip into the subject of eugenics.
I know!

Most of us switch-off at the mention of “genomics”, but it is crucial to understanding how the world is transforming & how “super forecasters” see the need for society to transform too

This thread👇offers a potted summary of just some of what is going on. #GenomeUK
Read 13 tweets
It is vital for @Peston to reveal who was his senior Downing St source that told him UK strategy was “allowing #COVID19 to spread through the population”

These were the identical words @BorisJohnson used in his #TakeItOnTheChin interview

It is in the public interest we know.
Every virologist will tell you that herd immunity without a vaccine is - by definition - not a preventative measure

The govt knew this

The No.10 press office has never attempted to correct @Peston’s story & yet govt ministers claim that #HerdImmunity was never their “strategy”!
Contrast No.10’s reaction to the @Peston story with their reaction to the @thetimes story that #Cummings had said the govt strategy was #HerdImmunity “& if that means some pensioners die, too bad”

They claimed it was “a defamatory fabrication”

No action for defamation was taken
Read 9 tweets
Wow!

@MattHancock has announced that the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Jenny Harries, will be the first chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency which will aim to plan, prevent & respond to health emergencies like pandemics

How is #JennyHarries still in a job
2/. Jenny Harries has been a handmaiden of the #HerdImmunityScandal

#HerdImmunity is an outcome, NEVER a “strategy”

On 12 March, the govt stopped community testing

On 26/3, #JennyHarries falsely claimed that community testing was "not an appropriate mechanism as we go forward”
3/. Stopping community testing - as the UK did on 12 March - would only make sense as a strategy if the UK’s strategy was to allow #COVID19 to spread through the population

Questioned by @Jeremy_Hunt, Jenny Harries changed her story to a claim of capacity issues. #JennyHarries
Read 17 tweets
1/. On 5 March 2020, the PM was asked why Britain hadn't locked down

He replied saying "one the theories is that we could #TakeItOnTheChin"

A year ago today - briefed by No.10 - @Peston revealed the govt strategy was to “allow the virus to pass through the entire population”. ImageImage
2/. It was clear that @Peston & his “senior No.10 source” had not understood #HerdImmunity which - as every virologist will tell you - is an OUTCOME never a STRATEGY

Allowing #COVID19 to spread
without a vaccine would be madness & result in mass deaths.
3/. Rather than correct @Peston & his “senior No.10 source” @uksciencechief came out publicly to defend “the strategy”

#HerdImmunity without a vaccine is, by definition, not a preventative measure

What was going on?!!

The was no lockdown & the #CheltenhamFestival was starting! Image
Read 24 tweets
1/. #OneYearAgoToday Italy & Spain had locked down

@BorisJohnson said:

“I was at a hospital the other night where I think a few there were #coronavirus patients & I shook hands with everybody, you’ll be pleased to know, & I continue to shake hands."
2/. “And I continue to shake hands and, I think it is very important that we...people can make up their own minds”

A month before, the PM had made the #GreenwichSpeech, where the blueprint for their deadly #HerdImmunity strategy (& the #PalantirPlan!) was laid out.
3/. On 5 March, two days after boasting about shaking hands with COVID patients, @BorisJohnson was asked why UK was delaying lockdown

He replied saying: “One of the theories is that we could take it on the chin”

On 12 March, @Peston confirmed
#HerdImmunity was govt ‘strategy’
Read 7 tweets
1/. Exactly one year ago - on 3 February 2020 - @BorisJohnson made THIS speech:

“There’s a risk new diseases such as #coronavirus could trigger a panic that goes beyond what is medically rational, to the point of doing real & unnecessary economic damage.”
2/. The PM's #GreenwichSpeech was the first time he’d mentioned #COVID19 publicly & it’s clear that the govt already had a plan

“Medically irrational responses” causing "real & unnecessary economic damage” = LOCKDOWN

The Govt’s strategy = #HERDIMMUNITY!
3/. Whilst this was the first time that the PM mentioned #COVID19 publicly, he’d known about it “right at the start” of Jan.

@MattHancock warned him & recalls his surprise that MPs weren’t aware of “the single biggest issue that's about to come & hit us”.
Read 10 tweets
Still lack of checks at airports. We know about Brazilian & S.African variants so why not close off the air corridors?

Victoria Aitkins: “Travel measures take a little bit of time...There’s a delicate balancing act btw controlling the virus & the economy”
Ystdy, @YvetteCooperMP asked the PM what the govt are doing to stop new S.African variant spreading in the UK.

Why have people been able to travel from SA to UK for last 4wks without being tested & can go on public transport.

@BorisJohnson didn’t know!
“Oh god!”

Questioned about his govt’s repeated inexplicable failures to try & control #COVID19 at airports & lack of action to protect the UK from a new Brazilian variant of #coronavirus @BorisJohnson appeared to mutter “oh god” under his breath.
Read 10 tweets
JOURNALIST: Why, after 10 months, are there still no checks at airports?

@BorisJohnson: Um...er...We will be bringing in measures to...um...er...to ensure that we...err...test people coming into this country & prevent the virus...er...being re-admitted.

@piersmorgan last July👇
The PM, #BorisJohnson, also says at the start of his answer👆
“Just to repeat, schools are safe” on the same day he just introduced a new #lockdown & shut down schools because they’re not safe.
#Lockdown3 #schoolclosures #COVID19 #coronavirus #HerdImmunityScandal #covidbriefing
#BorisJohnson makes clear his strategy is sometimes to PRETEND not to know what's going on so that when he ACTUALLY doesn’t know, people won’t be able to tell the difference

The trouble is that we can ALL tell

Is the #BumblingStrategy really govt policy?
Read 8 tweets
1/. On New Year’s Eve last year, I sent a post-midnight cartoon to friends with a message saying hold on tight & enjoy the ride & a Rilke quote: “And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been."

Nothing could have prepared us for what lay in store. #COVID19
2/. We’d hardly had a chance to recover from our hangovers before US assassinated General Soleimani, dramatically escalating tensions with #Iran

Until 20 January & Trump's departure, a danger of "Rapture-believing" hawks launching strikes on Iran remains.
3/. At the time of the Iran airstrike - while @BorisJohnson was holidaying on a private Caribbean island with his pregnant girlfriend - another crisis was brewing: #COVID19

@MattHancock says he knew about COVID at the v start of January & informed the PM.
Read 7 tweets
“Sweden hoped herd immunity would curb #COVID19. Don't do what we did” write 25 leading Swedish scientists

“Sweden’s approach to COVID has led to death, grief & suffering. The only example we're setting is how not to deal with a deadly infectious disease” usatoday.com/story/opinion/…
UK & US are also attempting a
#HerdImmunity strategy despite the fact almost every epidemiologist/virologist will tell you that Herd Immunity is an “outcome”, never a “strategy”

Late lockdowns, keeping schools/workplaces open etc are political decisions not just scientific ones
I’m not a scientist. 8 months months ago, i knew nothing about communicable diseases

But I stumbled on @BorisJohnson’s #TakeItOnTheChin comments

They led me to the #GreenwichSpeech, the #HerdImmunityScandal, #Palantir/#PalantirPlan & #GenomeUK

I’ve just been joining the dots.
Read 5 tweets
1 - The fact that the govt ignored SAGE's advice on #circuitbreaker lockdown doesn't come as a big surprise as SAGE has been increasingly sidelined since the setting up of the #JointBiosecurityCentre in July

The JBC is part of the "NHS" Test and Trace Service run by @didoharding
2 - The #JointBiosecurityCentre runs the govt's #COVID19 response

Set up in May, it was originally headed by Tom Hurd (MI6)

He was replaced by Clare Gardiner (GCHQ)

This suggests it sits within UK intelligence structures

Over the last 6 months, the JBC has released no minutes ImageImage
3 - Whilst little is known about the staffing & membership of this body, sources suggest that there is no "centre"

Instead, they say, the #JBC is scattered across offices in Whitehall & beyond, including intelligence agencies & research institutes

See: gov.uk/government/gro… ImageImage
Read 12 tweets
No distancing, no masks & this photo (via @nytimes) shows the #AmyConeyBarrett super-spreader event last week was INDOOR as well as outdoor, despite official claims

Attendees who later caught #COVID19:
Donald Trump
Melania Trump
Mike Lee
Thom Tillis
Kellyanne Conway
John Jenkins
Trump's campaign manager, Bill Stepien, has also tested positive for #COVID19

This comes days after telling staff without symptoms there's no need for them to quarantine

Perhaps, the entire White House should be put under quarantine! #DonaldTrump #TrumpCovid #TrumpHasCovid @aoc
In early March, @BorisJohnson boasted about shaking hands with #COVID19 patients

5/5 - PM’s #TakeItOnTheChin comments

12/3 - @peston reveals that #HerdImmunity is the govt strategy

13/3 - SAGE advises lockdown

16/3 - SAGE informs govt

25/3 - Lockdown
Read 6 tweets
#BREAKING: Trump claims even without a vaccine, #COVID19 will go away through “herd mentality”.

What he means is “herd immunity”.

"Sure, with time it goes away you'll develop, you'll develop herd - like a herd mentality. It's going to be herd developed.”
It’s clear that - like UK - America has been following a ‘#HerdImmunity strategy’ whereby #COVID19 is allowed to spread through the population

The UK/US #COVID responses have followed v similar paths

Could this be because of the centrality of #Palantir? https://t.co/lCmrjwCAeS
What is #HerdImmunity?

It is an outcome NOT a strategy

Every virologist & epidemiologist will tell you this

To slow down the spread = mitigation = going for herd immunity

To stop the spread = suppression = not going for herd immunity

See my #HerdImmunityScandal investigation Image
Read 11 tweets
JOURNALISTS & EDITORS

On 5 March, a 70-year-old woman became the first Briton reported to die of #COVID19. She would'nt be the last

On 5 Sept - 6 months on - #CovidMemorialDay are asking newspapers - national & local - to devote their front pages in memory of those we have lost ImageImageImageImage
.@TIME magazine had devoted its cover to #COVID19 deaths in the US

Last Saturday, we marked exactly 6mths since the first Briton died of #coronavirus

It was also 6mths since PMs #TakeItOnTheChin comments

Today, it’s 6mths since @Peston revealed #HerdImmunity was govt strategy! Image
Other countries- and their media - have helped put sorrow into words

In May Spain held a 10-day remembrance period

But in Britain, because everything about #coronavirus has become inextricably entwined with politics, even the act of grieving the dead has become a political act.
Read 5 tweets
1/. It’s 3 months since I stumbled upon what may turn out to be one of the greatest scandals of modern British history: the #HerdImmunityScandal.

On 8 March, after a tip off, I found the clip of the PM’s #TakeItOnTheChin comment.

I tweeted it & it was viewed 2.5m in 24 hours.
2/. Some questions raised by the #TakeItOnTheChin clip were answered by @peston No.10-sourced piece on 12 March revealing the govt’s #coronavirus “strategy” was #herdimmunity.

But then on 16 April, @peterjukes shared another tip off: the #GreenwichSpeech
3/. In this speech, made on 3 February, @BorisJohnson mentions #coronavirus for the first time & warns there’s a danger it will “trigger panic & [measures] that go beyond what’s medically rational to the point of doing real & unnecessary economic damage.”
Read 33 tweets

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