Boris Johnson rambled during the press conference yesterday
(Picture: BBC)Yesterday, Boris Johnson delivered a press conference aimed at providing clarity over the coronavirus crisis and communicating that the last stage of lockdown will be delayed for four weeks until 19 July.
A simple task? Not for Johnson who stuttered over his words with all the comprehensibility of a drunk uncle at a wedding and, once again, left people scratching their heads trying to work out what he was saying.
There’s a moment in particular that encapsulated his spluttering. When trying to say that, by 19 July, enough people will be vaccinated to slow the rising rate of infections and therefore allowing the UK to unlock safely, he instead said: “Um, er, two thirds of, of adults aged, er, er, all adults in the country will have had, will have had two doses by the end of er, er, by [INCOMPREHENSIBLE BORIS JOHNSON] by July the 19th we will have all adults, everybody.”
Wtf? Some of this isn’t even real words pic.twitter.com/mADmLt9Hlk
— Hilly (@HillyFoz) June 14, 2021
?! How very statesmanlike...
And people were baffled. Posting on social media some people thought Johnson was drunk, though we very much doubt it:
90% of the country will have had two shots, but Johnson has had at least 10 🍸🍹
— Stevie D 🔶 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🏳️🌈 👊🏿 😷 💉 (@stevieinselby) June 14, 2021
He's drunk, isn't he ?
— Sam Malin and the boy cat Lucy (@SamanthaMalin) June 14, 2021
The mans slightly drunk.
— Trevor Ball 💙 🇪🇺🇪🇺 (@Ball32Trevor) June 14, 2021
Others expressed their sympathy for the sign language interpreter, charged with translating Johnson’s ramblings for deaf viewers, something that would have been no easy task given nothing Johnson was saying was actual words.
I think I've just learnt what the sign language is for:
— Embarrassed Brit 🇬🇧🇪🇺 Council Estate Elite (@EmbarrassedBrit) June 14, 2021
"Offs"
or maybe it's:
"Kill me" pic.twitter.com/GAllUiVtaR
Ya gotta feel for the sign guy, he’s biting his lip and crossing his hands at one point pic.twitter.com/e3GpUECyHC
— Ben Cicognani (@BCicognani) June 14, 2021
I feel sick. I used to type live subtitles for deaf people to read on screen at meetings and conferences.
— wrong side of the bridge (@acrossthesevern) June 14, 2021
I would have lost it. I would have looked over at my deaf client and shrugged.
This could have been me.
Felt sorry for the sign guy.
— #LockTrumpUp 🍊🍊🍊 🏴 🇪🇺 🇵🇸 (@PaulMorris7777) June 14, 2021
Since Johnson can’t communicate, we’ll do it for him. The final throes of lockdown - meaning no clubs and no more than six people inside - will carry on until 19 July and not, as previously promised, until 21 June.
It’s a decision that has relieved some and riled others but Johnson has said this will be the last time he plucks dates out of the sky that people pin their hopes on and we hope he is right.
But regardless of whether it is, it would be nice if her could brush up on his public speaking a bit next time he needs to address the nation. Just a bit.
