PMQ: The Continued Coronavirus Response Debate
Key topics addressed today were Johnson’s Coronavirus response, the death of American George Floyd, and waning public “trust and confidence” in Parliament.
Leader of the opposition, Keir Starmer, began by drawing attention to the Prime Minister’s lack of response to the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis PD. Starmer also asks of the PM to communicate to President Trump “the UK’s abhorrence about his response to the event.”
Keir Starmer’s round of questions offered scrutiny of PM Johnson’s coronavirus response, questioning the efficacy of Johnson’s track-and-trace scheme. On the topic Coronavirus, Johnson brought up that he would like to see “more signs of co-operation” from the opposition, to which Starmer unveiled that he had actually sent a confidential letter on the 18th of May offering to work collaboratively with the PM on the re-opening of schools across the UK. Johnson claimed that he and Starmer had spoken on the phone after receiving the letter. Starmer also brought attention to the diminishing trust and confidence of the public in the British government, to which Johnson responded, “I really do not see the purpose of these endless attacks on public trust and confidence.” Starmer responded boldly with, “the Prime Minister is confusing scrutiny for attacks.”
Leader of the Scottish National Party in the House of Commons, Ian Blackford, criticized Johnson’s silence on the death of George Floyd, echoing the earlier words of Labour’s Keir Starmer. Blackford implored Johnson, “at the very least, Prime Minister, say it now: Black Lives Matter.” Blackford also drew attention to the fact that the British exports millions of pounds worth of riot control equipment to the US and that now having seen how “these weapons are used on American streets,” whether the PM would review these exports.
The PMQ then moved into general questions from MPs.