Alastair Campbell: 'Lazy, arrogant' Boris Johnson must 'get serious' on Covid-19 strategy

4 October 2020, 11:01 | Updated: 4 October 2020, 11:06

Alastair Campbell: PM is 'arrogant and useless' in Covid-19 strategy

The former adviser to Tony Blair told LBC that the PM's government is 'incapable' of handling the UK's pandemic response - and demanded Boris Johnson makes changes.

Alastair Campbell told Andrew Castle that Boris Johnson "doesn't do detail, he's lazy, he's arrogant, he's useless," following Sir Keir Starmer's comments, claiming the Government has "lost control" on coronavirus.

Andrew pressed the issue of uncertainty and lack of clarity coming from Government, pointing out that in areas of local lockdown "people have absolutely no idea when they can come out of these things."

Mr Campbell shared his experience of travelling through Germany, who he sees to have a cohesive, efficient test and trace system - which he doesn't believe the UK has.

"What is it that we're doing that we seem so incapable of gripping it?"

Andrew argued that "there's more to it than just the science" and the UK government have taken this into account in their response.

"In a public health crisis you have to listen to the science," Mr Campbell noted, but felt that government "used that as a cover."

Mr Campbell insisted the Government strategy on Covid-19 so far has been "if anything is felt to go a bit difficult...there's someone we can blame on that."

In relation to the PM's comments on the UK public becoming "complacent" in our response, Tony Blair's former adviser hit back. "this is the guy who said it was our moral duty to go to the office"

Andrew pressed Mr Campbell if he "could put Boris up against the wall" and demand one alteration of the UK's coronavirus response, what would it be.

Mr Campbell called on the PM to "get serious about it," adding that Mr Johnson shouldn't "do a job like this just by dreaming up the next slogan."

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