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A Tory MP told the Commons that government advisors had watched “too many episodes of West Wing” as he laid into Boris Johnson’s “presidential” speech easing lockdown measures on Sunday.
Peter Bone said Johnson’s decision to announce lockdown changes in a Sunday night television address 19 hours before releasing the full details and addressing parliament was “just plain wrong”.
He criticised Labour for “facing both ways” on the coronavirus crisis, but stressed: “That does not excuse how badly the government communicated its message this weekend.”
Bone said the prime minister should have announced the mild easing of restrictions to parliament on Monday and released the 51-page command paper with the details at the same time, arguing MPs would have been in the best position to “constructively” question him.
Instead, the announcement was marred by 24 hours of U-turns, car crash interviews and attempts to clarify the details.
In a debate on Covid-19, Bone told the Commons that Johnson was doing a “superb” job.
“But that does not excuse how badly the government communicated its message this weekend,” he said.
“The television presentation by the prime minister was plain wrong.
“Too many of the prime minister’s special advisers and aides think they are running a presidential government – that the prime minister goes on television and announces all sorts of executive orders, without any reference to parliament.
“Many of them have clearly been watching too many episodes of West Wing.
“They just do not understand how the government works in this country.”