Shelagh Fogarty 1pm - 4pm
James O'Brien's heartfelt monologue over patriotism and Covid
6 January 2021, 15:06
James O'Brien responds to people branding him "unpatriotic" over Covid
In a heartfelt monologue, James O'Brien looked at why people were branding others "unpatriotic" over the coronavirus crisis.
Speaking on his LBC radio show the presenter looked at the issue and why people were questioning the patriotism of those who question the Government's response to the ongoing Covid pandemic.
"You take people who look at the fact that we are once again, number two, on the most new cases, number five, on the country's reporting the most deaths, number three on the countries with the highest number of deaths per million population, that's countries and populations greater than 20 million," James said
"And I sit here someone saying, please, protect us. Please look after us better. Please, abandon this incompetence."
"This myopia, this appalling exceptionalism, this ludicrous addiction to triumphalism and cheery announcements and just do some heavy lifting, will you please, please keep us alive, please help us survive."
James then looked at why that might be the case, he said when you look through the lens of what has happened to the UK wondering if blame can be ascribed to that.
"And that through the lens of whatever it is, that's happened in the last few years, that apparently is hating your country."
"Wanting to do everything within our power to keep our country men and women alive, is through the lens of this vote, leave government."
"And, of course, the utter transformation of democracy that Brexit has undertaken, it's somehow hating your country."
"It's unpatriotic now, to believe that the government should be straining every sinew to keep the British people alive. "
"When you criticise the British government for the number of British people who have died unnecessarily as a direct result of their policies, they now have nothing left but to encourage the full lock targets and the kept offers to accuse those of us who want people to be alive of being unpatriotic."
Watch James's full monologue in the video at the top of the page.