Nadine Dorries rendered satire obsolete with this baffling Channel 4 News interview
Boris Johnson didn’t exactly clothe himself in glory on Monday, taking to his feet in parliament to apologise for the Partygate fiasco.
Sue Gray’s update made specific mention of ‘failures of leadership’, and Johnson’s brief apology and protracted party political broadcast went down badly in and out of the House.
Did you you know “Sue Gray Report” is an anagram of “Rogue Partyers”
— Lance Forman (@LanceForman) January 31, 2022
Good to hear Boris Johnson promising to fix the problems of Boris Johnson’s leadership highlighted by the parties Boris Johnson attended that Boris Johnson said didn’t happen.
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) January 31, 2022
Kier Starmer calmly destroyed Boris Johnson today . If the @Conservatives MP’s weren’t wobbling before they must be ready to turn now. This is only going to get worse.
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) January 31, 2022
As well as attacks from the opposition benches, which you would expect, Johnson faced not so friendly fire from his own side of the House, most notably Theresa May, who said this –
May Theresa May publicly ask if you are a entitled lying criminal or a thick twat
Oh wait…#CurseBorisJohnson pic.twitter.com/aID2ZmcwXu
— Will Black (@WillBlackWriter) January 31, 2022
As ever, Johnson’s twin cheerleaders, Michael Fabricant and Nadine Dorries, stepped up to defend him, with Fabricant becoming positively effervescent about the PM’s private address to Tory MPs.
#Boris really worked the room at the 1922 Meeting tonight. I think by the end it was like a Billy Graham evangelical love-in!
He apologised again, but then outlined where we go from here.
I’d like to say more…. But I am forbidden!!— Michael Fabricant 🇬🇧 (@Mike_Fabricant) January 31, 2022
If anything, Dorries went further, with a series of belligerent interviews, including one with Channel 4’s Krishnan Guru-Murthy. Strap yourself in. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
"The Prime Minister tells the truth."
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries defends Boris Johnson after the publication of the Sue Gray report and following Met police reports that they have 300 images pertaining to Downing Street parties. pic.twitter.com/SX2x6TfF40
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) January 31, 2022
The Culture Secretary @NadineDorries remains the most loyal of Boris Johnson’s supporters. https://t.co/WeyTVk0tpB
— Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) January 31, 2022
It might be time for Johnson to pack a suitcase – and not with wine.
I can’t imagine there are many circumstances in which Nadine Dorries would defend me, but I’m absolutely certain that there are none in which I’d want her to.
— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob) January 31, 2022
When your loudest defenders are Nadine Dorries and Michael Fabricant it’s possible you’re shit and in the shit.
— Jonathan Lis (@jonlis1) January 31, 2022
Both the manner and content of the interview came in for some serious scrutiny on Twitter, and these responses stood out.
1.
What a gross understanding of law. There's a police investigation into a party in PMs flat on November 13th. I am breaking no rules, laws or guidance by saying I was not at the Prime Minister's flat on the 13th of November. A minister should at least understand the basics. https://t.co/BMTOkaLjQ5
— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) January 31, 2022
2.
I feel I should apologise for the media training I gave her. I thought I was being funny. pic.twitter.com/qRa4SC5TPI
— Dame Bibi Lynch (@BibiLynch) January 31, 2022
3.
Nadine Dorries on #C4News backing Boris Johnson saying “he tells the truth” in a TV appearance more embarrassing than when she ate ostrich anus
— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@davemacladd) January 31, 2022
4.
Wow…just wow… @NadineDorries on @Channel4News like a guppy fish gasping for air after being flipped out of a pond. Staggeringly embarrassing.
— Dom Joly (@domjoly) January 31, 2022
5.
Wow. The Nadine Dorries interview just now with @krishgm was just extraordinary. Struggling to hold on and hold it together. Almost laughing at her own defence.
— Adil Ray OBE (@adilray) January 31, 2022
6.
For some reason I think Channel 4 might last longer than Dorries’s ministerial career pic.twitter.com/YPrzoX3k4E
— Jonathan Lis (@jonlis1) January 31, 2022
7.
This Vicky Pollard sketch is really not funny any more 😳 … https://t.co/Ws3CMAc2yA
— Tanita Tikaram💙 (@tanita_tikaram) January 31, 2022
8.
Surely the most inadequate cabinet minister of modern times if not all time https://t.co/wxKJBmUlkW
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) January 31, 2022
9.
Super Nads.
Confident, sassy & super cool.
The jealousy of her is unbelievable.
The left have no one like her thus their foul criticism of her.
But Nads doesn’t care
Why should she?
She is the Florence Nightingale of British politics, coming to our brave Prime Minister’s aid.💪🇬🇧— Sir Michael Take CBE (@MichaelTakeMP) January 31, 2022
10.
Every day the Day Today https://t.co/4s8dnVl20E
— Ian Dransfield (@ianinthefuture) January 31, 2022
11.
If you look closely, I think you can see an anxious Tory Press Officer stood on the left hand side. He's the one with blood dripping from his hand, as he digs his nails in when the verbal diarrhoea goes from loose and offensive to a bucket load of Bristol Type 7 https://t.co/ItWO266pLG
— Jake Dunning (@OutbreakJake) January 31, 2022
12.
Another Nadine Dorries interview to file under the car crash genre #c4news pic.twitter.com/jvuTbMOIWO
— Jay J (@JibbaJabb) January 31, 2022
Comedian and actor Rosie Holt spotted another downside to the clip, beyond knowing that Nadine Dorries is one of the people running the country.
Haha yes. All the people tagging me in this saying, “you are out of a job” haha very funny, my characters are more normal than the Culture Secretary ha ha I’m not in despair at the country & my career at ALL pic.twitter.com/zXbkwKb1Qe
— Rosie Holt (@RosieisaHolt) January 31, 2022
Won’t somebody think of the satirists.
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Source Channel 4 News Image Screengrab
