Dan Hodges Dislikes Reality

Once upon a time, the Mail on Sunday’s not even slightly celebrated blues artiste Whinging Dan Hodges was a supporter of the Labour Party, a member even, and had not just joined The Red Team so he could flounce out of it. Now, though, Desperate Dan has crossed the floor in no style at all, and like all the other grovelling sycophants of the right-wing press, is fully invested in The Adoration Of The Boris.

He's desperate, Dan

He is prepared to project, deflect, dissemble and shamelessly propagandise in the service of alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, the resulting low moaning sound a constant in the Fourth Estate noise floor. But Dan is worried, worried that the grovelling in which he is a participant is not having the desired effect.

“What amazes me is the way the Left haven't even pretended. Could have waited another 24-48 hours. Or even till he was out of hospital. Nope. The line to take literally was ‘we wait until the second Boris is out of intensive care. Then we go for him’” was typical of yet another attempt to suggest the Rotten Lefties™ are dissing his new hero.

But then came a thought to disturb his routine: “Not sure why it's happening. But there's now a concerted and co-ordinated attempt to negatively shift the narrative on the Government's handling of this crisis. I suspect it's because we're nearing the peak, and there are some signs the strategy's working”. Reality, for Dan, is a state of mind.

Do go on. “Just to underline the negative narrative point - given the lag between infections, hospitalisations and deaths, what do people think Ministers, the CMO and CSA should be doing that they are not doing. Given infections and admissions are now plateauing”. The question marks never do appear, do they, Dan? But let me put The Great Man straight.

Maybe our Government could level with We The People - and start by taking questions at their daily briefing from those not called Laura Kuenssberg and Robert Peston. Answering inconvenient questions - you know, Dan, the kind of thing you sneered at Jeremy Corbyn for supposedly not doing. Questions about the delay in locking down.

Questions about Personal Protective Equipment, and indeed calling out Matt Hancock when he makes to shift the blame for its shortage onto the NHS staff who are putting themselves in harm’s way in order to tend to the thousands upon thousands who have become infected with Covid-19. Questions about the apparent lack of an exit strategy. Questions about “Herd Immunity”, without trying to dismiss them as “rubbish”.

Hodges' hero, and ...

Questions as to why flights from across the globe are still landing at Heathrow Airport, and apparently without the passengers they disgorge being subjected to any checks. Questions on the lack of ventilators, and the consequent likelihood of those same NHS staff then having to choose who gets one, and who gets to die instead.

... how he thinks he should be held to account

Questioning the North Korea-style personality cult that has been built up around Boris Johnson, and in which Hodges is a full participant. And questioning why he is claiming “we are nearing the peak” when he has not a jot of evidence to back up his statement.

The kinds of questions that those who claim to be journalists should already be asking. Rather than looking to smear those doing their jobs properly. You’re welcome.

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