'Why would you need Christian forgiveness if you haven't broken the law?'
Michael Gove has been ruthlessly mocked online after he said that people should show the Tories who flouted lockdown rules to hold parties some “Christian forgiveness”.
The senior Tory MP made the comments in a documentary for Channel 4 which aired on Sunday, where he was speaking to Andrew Neil and insisted that Boris Johnson had ‘taken responsibility’ over mistakes that were made.
Referring to the much-awaited Sue Gray report, Gove, the Minister for Levelling Up, said: “I’m sure that when the report is published there will be from individuals concerned recognition, contrition and so on and you know we owe them an element of Christian forgiveness.”
Those comments led to a backlash and Gove being called out for his hypocrisy. Peter Jukes, CEO of Byline tweeted: “The main scoop from Neil’s documentary and the Johnson scandalfest was Gove calling for ‘Christian forgiveness’. Where is that for at-risk Afghans or the asylum seekers we persecute on the high seas?”
Brian Moore tweeted: “Why would you need Christian forgiveness if you haven’t broken the law?”, while Alan White added: “Well, we’ve certainly been on a journey from “the rules were followed at all times”.
Another social media user wrote: “Obsequious, lying snake Michael Gove tells us to show Johnson ‘Christian forgiveness’. Maybe when some of these raging social inadequates have learned the basic rules of decency, respect and honesty themselves, we’ll consider their advice on how to behave.”
It comes as MPs await the publication of the Sue Gray report, which will be a redacted version after the Met’s request that only ‘minimal’ reference be made to Downing Street parties that it too is investigating.
A raft of backbench Tory MPs are reported to be still considering sending letters of no confidence to the 1922 Committee after the report’s publication.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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