Why Didn’t Boris Johnson Look at the Photo of a Sick 4-Year-Old Sleeping on the Hospital Room Floor?

In all honesty, I can't help but think the reporter went straight for the jugular or low-hanging fruit on this particular occasion. A popular saying is that 'It’s not over till the fat lady sings,' and I suspect that a couple of days before the GE (General Election), the 'fat lady,' or rather the reporter, was practicing her scales, clearing her throat, and making good use of the nearby spittoon. The 'odd behavior' 'Boza' (Boris Johnson) was exhibiting was quite a rage; had Jeremy Paxman or someone of his ilk appeared among the gaggle of reporters, dear old Boza would have thought, 'Uh oh! Now I’m in for a bloody good grilling!'

The Context

However, there was no sign of hard-hitting Paxman; just a reporter intent on kicking the Prime Minister in the metaphorical balls. The picture, and the reporter, sadly did not tell us how long the poor little chap had been lying there, how long he lay there afterwards, or if he had contracted pneumonia. There was a suggestion that like Frank Bruno, who badly stung Mike Tyson in the 5th round but went on to lose the fight, something had gone extremely wrong with this situation. Clearly, the little chap hoped he was in the right place with the right people, even if he didn’t have a decent bed.

The Media's Role in Politics

Amidst the calls for the NHS not to be 'politicized,' there have also been calls for the recent London Bridge terrorist incident not to be 'politicized' either. Everything is going to be politicized in the runup to a GE, so news is an intrinsic part of political life. The media often wants to be the bluntest, driving a point across, even if that point is sometimes dreamed up over a glass of bolly in a wine bar. Victoria Derbyshire and Cathy Newman come to mind, but I avoid them to avoid being labeled a misogynistic pig.

The situation is akin to a boxer mentioned in the story, who, when faced with a similarly underqualified and out-of-depth opponent, would either slip under a punch or deliver a decisive blow. This is what had happened with Boris and someone clearly unqualified and out of depth. Clearly, something had gone severely wrong, and I, along with everyone else, hope that the poor little boy is well on his way to recovery. The NHS was clearly the right place for him, even if it meant sleeping on the floor.

Political Broadcasts and the American Angle

Let's now take a look at the hideous Labour Party political broadcast that was piped into our living rooms. An American, yes really, extols the virtues of our NHS and quite rightly so. He told us, like we already knew, that healthcare is prohibitively expensive in the USA. The treatment his son received here was first-class and free. Proud to be British, or what?

An American, from America, which, of course, the leader of which Jeremy Corbyn refused to meet because he’s just washing his hair or something. Their leader isn’t good enough for the leader of the Labour Party to meet, no, but one of their citizens is good enough to use in a political broadcast that seems emetic in its essence. It’s a competition amongst journalists not to interview people but to be the bluntest while simultaneously driving a political point across. If the Labour Party used a Romanian or Polish citizen in their campaign, they would likely be accused of being patronizing, racist scum by other members of the Labour Party.

Conclusion

It undoubtedly requires a leap of the imagination to liken Johnson’s new government with Frank Bruno’s devastating punch, but we, as a community, must make it count. Boris, make it count! Thank you for your kind attention.