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‘Staggering’, ‘needless’: Welsh politicians condemn Sajid Javid’s coronavirus ‘cower’ comment

25 Jul 2021 2 minute read
Sajid Javid. Picture by the Ministry of Housing (CC BY-ND 2.0).

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid has been condemned for saying that people should no longer ‘cower’ from coronavirus.

He made the comment in a tweet about how he has made a ‘full recovery’ from Covid, a week after having been tested positive:


His choice of words has provoked an angry response, seen as being hurtful to those bereaved and an insult to people who continue to follow the health guidance.

Vaughan Gething, Welsh Minister for Economy, tweeted: “Staggering – language like this will bleed public trust & provoke ridicule. It’s still a serious time and we need serious people in government across the UK.”

Recent figures show there have been 219,831 cases of Covid-19 reported in Wales and 5,575 related deaths.

‘Needless’

Plaid Cymru AS Delyth Jewell accused Sajid Javid of trying to deliberately provoke controversy with his use of language:

She stated: “‘Cower’. The deliberateness of the jibe stands out, doesn’t it? The utter needlessness of saying it.

“Why crowbar in the insult, and belittle the millions of sacrifices and griefs? Courting not just controversy but contempt.”

The UK Government has been criticised throughout the pandemic for not having taken the threat to public health seriously.

Last week, a leaked message appeared from October 2020 in which UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was pushing back against a second lockdown.

It states: “I must say I have been slightly rocked by some of the data on Covid fatalities. The median age is 82 to 81 for men 85 for women.

“That is above life expectancy. So get Covid and live longer. Hardly anyone under 60 goes into hospital (four per cent) and of those virtually all survive.”

The percentage of people in Wales who have received both vaccination jabs is 62.5%, compared to the UK average of 55.5%.


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Dai Rob
Dai Rob
2 years ago

Callous!

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

We all know this UK Government was set up to achieve one thing and one thing only – Brexit. As a result it’s made up of zealots and opportunists who have little experience and to be honest are complete idiots.

Chris
Chris
2 years ago

They keep double triple quadrupling down on the myth that putting the economy before your own health is somehow a brave and manly thing to do. And not the gullible actions of unthinking, expendable low paid serfs

Last edited 2 years ago by Chris
Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

Westminster has failed on Brexit negotiation, failed on Covid, and failed to produce a Prime Minister with anything approaching a moral compass. They are now preparing the ground to abdicate responsibility for empty supermarket shelves, a failed test and trace old chums rip off and a PM unworthy of the title. The “not me guv” government in all its glaring hypocritical splendour. Lord let us out of this failing state before I die.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
2 years ago

The man is a warning from the future…

GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
2 years ago

How is he the UK Health Secretary when health is devolved and he has absolutely nothing to do with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland? Why isn’t he called the English health Secretary? Why hide it?

Chris
Chris
2 years ago
Reply to  GW Atkinson

Good point. This is how we should refer to him henceforth. I certainly will

Nick
Nick
2 years ago

This man is from another planet, just look at him!! 😱😱👽👽👽👽

Clive Keevill
Clive Keevill
2 years ago

The thing is he’s quite right. People really do need to get on with things & cower like frightened rabbits

Clive Keevill
Clive Keevill
2 years ago

That should read, NOT cower like frightened rabbits.

Nick
Nick
2 years ago
Reply to  Clive Keevill

The problem is that if we don’t get on top of this virus now and it continues to spread the next mutation could be faster acting and much more lethal. The plague of 1346 spread across Asia and Europe in a decade and killed at least 25% of the human population, it then kept breaking out for a further three centuries. SARS, MERS and now COVID have a relatively low lethality, we had close calls with SARS and MERS but COVID spanned the globe in three months and has killed millions. If the next mutation combines the transmissibility of Delta… Read more »

Lyndespair
Lyndespair
2 years ago

Vaughan Gething: he IS serious. That’s the problem. He and others of his mindset now in power live in a world in which anything can be conquered by force of will. And asserting your individual will is the the right thing to do, and indeed the only right. Those who succumb are lacking in will and therefore of no account. This is not metaphor, nor exaggeration. This is, literally (in the original sense of the word) serious, and very, very dangerous

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