Gove COBRA Rebuttal BUSTED

Weekend criticism of the Government, and especially of alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, has clearly stung some of those involved, to the extent that a concerted rebuttal operation has been mounted. Sadly for Bozo and his pals, it has been fronted by the likes of Michael “Oiky” Gove, and as a result has become one of those campaigns destined to not necessarily develop to the Tories’ advantage.

And I say this to the Rt Hon Rascally Rabbit ...

After it was claimed that Bozo had missed the first five COBRA meetings on the subject of the Coronavirus pandemic, Gove appeared before the host’s inquisition on The Andy Marr Show™ and told “The characterisation of COBRA is wrong … [Johnson] didn’t [attend], but then, he wouldn’t, because most COBRA meetings don’t have the Prime Minister attending them. That is the whole point”. Oh yeah? Do go on.

Wake up Bozo, you've been rumbled

“The characterisation of COBRA in the Sunday Times report suggesting that it always has military staff in there [dead cat], and so on, it’s not true. COBRA meetings are led by the relevant Secretary of State in the relevant area. As Environment Secretary when we had flooding, I would chair the COBRA on those. It would be the case the Health Secretary … or whoever is chairing those meetings reports to the Prime Minister”. Ri-i-i-ight.

So who would like to defend “Oiky”? Step forward professional creep and amateur human being Darren Grimes. “‘You can whip it up to try and create a j'accuse narrative, but that is not fair.’ [Michael Gove] at his best, pointing out that COBRA meetings are always chaired by the relevant Secretary of State. Coronavirus is obviously the Health brief”. Aw bless!

Sadly, as the Tweeter known as My Sweet Landlord pointed out, Bozo’s Tory predecessor was rather more involved in chairing COBRA: “David Cameron never chaired Cobra meetings, did he? Apart from Riots, Woolwich Attacks, Iraq, Ebola, Brussels Attacks, Russian Plane Crash, Calais Migrant Crisis, Paris Attacks, Flooding, Sharm el-Sheikh”.

And it got worse, as former Labour spinner Damian McBride weighed in. “During the Foot & Mouth crisis in 2007, [Gordon Brown] didn’t just attend every COBRA meeting, he chaired them all. There were no 'experts' telling him when to tune in. If that's what we got from a PM for a disease that didn't even threaten human life, was it too much to ask for Coronavirus?”. Quite. And then came an item from a Sky News interview.

As even the Mail’s website has admitted, “Former chief government science adviser David King told Sky News today that he could not recall a Cobra meeting during his time in Whitehall that was not chaired by Tony Blair or Gordon Brown”. King was also an adviser to David Cameron and Theresa May. His inference was that, if the meeting was critical, the PM would chair it. It all comes back to Bozo being too lazy to get off his backside.

Meanwhile, the Government’s website has once again been used to publish a full rebuttal, wasting more taxpayer-funded resources, provoking this comeback from the Independent’s Tom Peck: “What a belated thrill to read the 3,000 word ‘Claim: Response’ rebuts to news articles from the Government of Professional Liars that brought us such gems as this”. He included the Vote Leave “Turkey is joining the EU” whopper.

Michael Gove span for his supper. And it looks like he went to bed hungry.

Enjoy your visit to Zelo Street? You can help this truly independent blog carry on talking truth to power, while retaining its sense of humour, by adding to its Just Giving page at

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/zelostreet5