‘Arrogant and offensive’: UK government Twitter account goes rogue appearing to criticise Boris Johnson

The UK prime minister Boris Johnson’s decision to back his senior advisor Dominic Cummings, who broke lockdown, has not been without criticism. But nobody anticipated it would seemingly come from an official government twitter account.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his political advisor Dominic Cummings leave 10 Downing Street.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his political advisor Dominic Cummings leave 10 Downing Street. Source: Getty Images Europe

In the midst of a scandal over the comings and goings of the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior advisor, Dominic Cummings, during the UK's coronavirus lockdown -- a tweet emerged.
The official UK Civil Service twitter account wrote, "Arrogant and offensive. Can you imagine having to work with these truth twisters." It was promptly deleted.

The post came right after Boris Johnson gave a press conference on Sunday, where he said he supported Cummings' decision to drive 400km from London to northern England in March, despite breaking lockdown regulations.

Cummings' actions led to many political figures, including those from Johnson's Conservative Party, to call for the resignation of the prime minister's senior advisor.

"I've had extensive face-to-face conversations with Dominic Cummings," Johnson said in the press conference.

Cummings was driving his ill wife, who had begun showing COVID-19 symptoms, and young son to be close to relatives in their Durham home in the northeast.

Johnson said Cummings had followed the "instincts of every father" when he drove to the northeast.

"I believe that in every respect he has acted responsibly and legally and with integrity."
With the now infamous tweet from the UK Civil Service promptly deleted this Twitter user decided to memorialise the words in embroidery.
Despite the disappearance of the tweet, the scandal doesn't look like it's going away. Soon after the tweet was unleashed on the public, the UK government announced - via Twitter - that an investigation had started to find out who tweeted the message.

But that hasn't seemed to go down too well. Former England footballer Gary Lineker saw the news of an investigation as a chance to parody the UK prime minister's response to Cummings' break of lockdown.
Novelist J.K. Rowling got in the act as well. She is keen to know just who sent out the tweet that's grabbing headlines in the UK and around the world. Rowling even offered them a year's salary.
Others have tried to pay a poetic tribute to their "soon-to-be unemployed hero".
The tweet reads, "My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
It gives a lovely light!"

The tweet has indeed lasted the night, and may last even longer.

Any fears it may have been lost in the ether or a passing fad have been allayed.
There are now even t-shirts being sold of the tweet online. 

 


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Published 25 May 2020 12:51pm
Updated 25 May 2020 3:31pm
By Ahmed Yussuf

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