AN OLD quote from Boris Johnson in which he praised the Mayor in the film 'Jaws' for keeping the beaches open despite regular shark attacks has resurfaced amid worries that the UK is not doing enough to combat the threat of coronavirus.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is today attending a special COBRA meeting in which it is expected that Britain will implement a new 'delay' stage regarding the coronavirus, which could include measures such as social distancing and people urged to work from home.
However, with Italy in complete lockdown, the US implementing travel bans and Ireland closing all schools, colleges and gatherings over 100 people, Mr Johnson has faced criticism for not implementing similar measures, with the Cheltenham races entering its third day and no word on a decision to postpone London's St Patrick's Day parade due to take place this Sunday.
Uk's answer to Italy's lockdown #COVID2019uk pic.twitter.com/0lkDsCovA8
— Janis Ward#FBPE🌈🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@laurenleygold) March 10, 2020
The mounting criticism has been accompanied by an old quote from Mr Johnson from 2006, in which he said that the fictional Mayor Vaughn from the Stephen Spielberg movie Jaws was a 'hero'.
An MP at the time, Mr Johnson told an audience at Lloyd's in London that "The real hero of Jaws is the mayor".
"A gigantic fish is eating all your constituents and he decides to keep the beaches open.
"OK, in that instance he was actually wrong. But in principle, we need more politicians like the mayor-- we are often the only obstacle against all the nonsense which is really a massive conspiracy against the taxpayer".
What do Ireland's medical/scientific experts know that yours don't, Prime Minister @BorisJohnson ?
Why are you still doing nothing?— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 12, 2020
Mr Johnson is expected to brief the public on the results of the COBRA meeting, which is currently taking place, later this afternoon.
See More: Boris Johnson, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Jaws
