Journalists were left speechless after an Orwellian briefing from Number 10.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson has refused to condemn eugenics, following controversial comments from a new No 10 contractor.
The PM’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings has come under fire after hiring Andrew Sabisky as a contractor. Sabisky, 27, has previously called for compulsory contraception programmes to avoid the creation of a ‘permanent underclass’.
But in a lobby briefing this morning, the PM’s deputy spokesperson said the government would not comment on individual appointments. The PM’s spokesperson would only say ‘the Prime Minister’s views are well publicised and well documented’ when asked to condemn eugenics and Sabisky’s comments.
When it was repeatedly pointed out that the PM’s comments on eugenics were not clear, the spokesperson repeated the same claim around a dozen times.
The hire of Sabisky follows Cummings’ call in a blog post for ‘assorted weirdos’ to come and work for Number 10. Sabisky has in the past discussed the so-called merits of eugenics, while Cummings has said that ‘genetics outweigh teaching’ when it comes to children’s academic chances.
Dominic Cummings has come under growing criticism, following his apparent role in the departure of ex-Chancellor Sajid Javid last week. No 10 reportedly insisted that Javid fired his advisers and replaced them with the PM’s appointees. Javid quit instead of agreeing to the demands.
Asked by Left Foot Forward if Cummings and other advisers would agree to SNP calls to appear before Parliament’s liaison committee to scrutinise last week’s departmental reshuffle, the PM’s spokesman said ‘it’s for politicians to appear before Parliament’.
Labour has called for Sabisky to be sacked after his eugenics comments emerged over the weekend.
Refusing to condemn eugenics? Just a normal day under the Johnson/Cummings regime…
Josiah Mortimer is Editor of Left Foot Forward.
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