Boris Johnson Survives Confidence Vote After Tories Reveal Jeremy Hunt Wanted Chinese-Style Quarantine

Boris Johnson narrowly survived a vote of confidence in UK Parliament this evening on his leadership as Prime Minister, particularly with regard to his “partygate” scandal during lockdown. But perhaps the most interesting information to come out concerns Jeremy Hunt, the MP who helped lead the no-confidence vote and who might have replaced Johnson. Amid the infighting within the Conservative Party, fellow MP Nadine Dorries revealed that Hunt had telephoned her in 2020, while she was Minister of Health, to urge her to follow China’s example and have those who tested positive for Covid forcibly removed from their homes and placed in isolation for two weeks.

Nadine Dorries @NadineDorries

1/4 On afternoon of 23rd July 2020 when I was health minister you telephoned me to tell me that we had to handle the pandemic following the example set by the East/China. That people testing + should be removed from their homes and placed into isolation hotels for two weeks. https://t.co/iABbYOH6xR

Jeremy Hunt @Jeremy_Hunt

Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer & more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to others who do not share those values. Today’s decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change

Dorries’ testimony was confirmed by a video of Mr. Hunt gushing about China’s Zero Covid policy and urging the UK to follow it.

I very much agree with the central point in Gabriel’s paper that we should be aiming for zero infection and elimination of the disease…My sister lives in Beijing and she flew back to Beijing in the middle of lockdown and just to give you an idea of the contrast, she was escorted from the airport in Beijing to her home by Ministry of Health officials and then put into her home for two weeks’ quarantine. The door was sealed, and she had a police car sitting outside periodically.

James Melville @JamesMelville

I’m no fan of Boris Johnson. In fact, I can’t stand the man. But if we end up with Jeremy Hunt as Prime Minister, then god help us. Here he is gleefully praising China’s ruthlessly authoritarian Zero Covid strategy.

Apparently, Mr. Hunt’s shilling was a step too far even by the rock-bottom standards that western leaders have set for themselves over the last two years. It took nothing less than a shameless grab for the top job itself for this information to finally come out from the British mainstream.

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Michael P Senger is an attorney and author of Snake Oil: How Xi Jinping Shut Down the World. Want to support my work? Get the book. Already got the book? Leave a quick review.