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UK health minister brushes off PM's 'hopeless' remark

Published : Friday, 18 June, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 793

LONDON, June 17: UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Wednesday rejected criticism of his handling of the Covid pandemic after private WhatsApp exchanges emerged in which Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared to describe him as "hopeless".
The PM's controversial former chief aide Dominic Cummings -- who stepped down from the role in December -- posted the exchanges on social media.
Cummings, who has spent recent months savaging both his former boss and Hancock, tweeted screenshots of the exchanges apparently between him and Johnson in March and April last year as Britain battled the first wave of the pandemic.
After Cummings commented that Hancock was unsure he would reach a target of 10,000 virus tests per week on schedule, the prime minister apparently responded: "Totally (obscenity) hopeless."
In another message, Johnson blamed Hancock for the UK's difficulty in getting hold of ventilators. "It's Hancock. He has been hopeless," the message said.
Johnson's spokesman said Wednesday the prime minister had full confidence in the under-fire health secretary but declined to comment on the messages.
"The prime minister has worked very closely with (Hancock) and will continue to do so," the spokesman said.
Asked whether he believed he had been hopeless, Hancock replied from the backseat of his ministerial car: "I don't think so."    -AFP









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