Boris Johnson needs to hand over power, rest and get better: Andrew Pierce

5 April 2020, 22:17 | Updated: 7 June 2023, 08:56

The background to Boris Johnson going to hospital, by Andrew Pierce

Boris Johnson has needs to hand over power and rest to beat coronavirus, Andrew Pierce has told LBC.

The Prime Minister has been admitted to hospital for precautionary tests over his coronavirus after his high temperature did not go away, 10 days after it appeared.

Andrew has had coronavirus and says the disease "knocked him for six", admitting that he was sleeping for 15 hours per day to try to recover.

But he revealed the Prime Minister has continued to work extraordinarily hard to co-ordinate the government's response - and he thinks he now needs to take a step back.

Speaking to Clive Bull on LBC, Andrew said: "I'm not surprised at all, because when I last saw images of Boris Johnson on television, I thought he looked absolutely terrible.

"He's clearly not getting any better. We know when he was much younger, he had some pneumonia-related conditions, so it could be an underlying respiratory issue.

"I've had this coronavirus, I've probably still got it. My GP said it lives in the system for 3-4 weeks. It knocked me for six, I was completely flat out, like the worst case of the flu.

"The Prime Minister, by contrast, has soldiered on, he's doing an 18-hour day.

"He was out clapping in Downing Street on Thursday night, looking terrible. He's doing everything that you shouldn't be doing when you've got coronavirus, which is you've got to give in to it, stay at home.

"You've got to stop working and stay in bed. I was sleeping sometimes for 14-15 hours a day.

"What we need is for our Prime Minister to be firing on all pistons and I hope the doctors send him back to Chequers and tell him that he's got to rest, because an ill Prime Minister is no good to any of us.

"Boris has got to let go of the levers of power for a few days."

READ MORE: Boris Johnson hospitalised for coronavirus tests

READ MORE: Who is Boris Johnson's deputy if he can't continue?

Foreign Secrertary Dominic Raab has been named as Boris Johnson's deputy if he is unable to continue, but Andrew thinks that Michael Gove is a much more likely candidate.

He added: "He's got to hand over to his deputy. But who's that? Whoops, we're not quite sure.

"It's Dominic Raab, the First Secretary of State, but I suspect you'll find it's Michael Gove, the Cabinet Minister, who will step into the breach here."