As Johnson chickens out of Channel 4 debate, his party’s reputation melts into the sewer

Boris Johnson


Support us and go ad-free

Channel 4 News has just hosted a leaders’ debate on the climate crisis. Considering this is one of the most crucial issues facing the electorate, and indeed the world, it’s a vital debate. But not only did Boris Johnson refuse to attend; his reputation (and that of his party) also melted even further into the sewer.

“The climate election”

While many issues are important to voters, this general election has been dubbed by some as “the climate election”. Jeremy Corbyn called it the “greatest issue facing our planet”:

 

 

But Johnson and the Brexit Party’s Nigel Farage refused to appear on the hour-long Emergency On Planet Earth debate on Channel 4 News. Meanwhile, Corbyn, Scottish First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price, and Green co-leader Sian Berry agreed to take part.

Channel 4, however, came up with the perfect way to highlight the significance of Johnson and Farage’s absence. It put two ice sculptures in their place:

But if Johnson’s absence wasn’t bad enough, his party also took utterly desperate measures to try and cover for him.

Wtaf?

Shortly before broadcast, Channel 4 News editor Ben de Pear shared Johnson’s “last ditch attempt”:

He also explained that the other party leaders refused to appear with Johnson’s stunt double sidekick Michael Gove:

Johnson’s dad, who had been invited by Channel 4, seemingly offered to stand in for his son.

Labour’s Clive Lewis was one of many who applauded Channel 4‘s integrity:

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley, meanwhile, called Johnson “a disgrace” for chickening out:

Melting further into the sewer

Gove, however, hadn’t quite finished. Because he still tried to twist the whole fiasco into another cheap shot at Corbyn:

De Pear was quick to take down other moaning Tories too:

Tory HQ, meanwhile, apparently went into meltdown over the Channel 4 ice sculptures:

Whose side are you on: the fracking lobbyists’ or the climate scientists’?

Johnson is a sickening disgrace. He’s running scared from crucial issues, and any televised debates show him up for what he truly is. And let’s not forget that a fracking lobbyist wrote the Tory manifesto:

We have to hope that the electorate is eyes wide open now and that the Tories pay the price for this on 12 December.

Featured image via screengrab

Support us and go ad-free

Do your bit for independent journalism

Did you know that less than 1.5% of our readers contribute financially to The Canary? Imagine what we could do if just a few more people joined our movement to achieve a shared vision of a free and fair society where we nurture people and planet.

We need you to help out, if you can.

When you give a monthly amount to fund our work, you are supporting truly independent journalism. We hold power to account and have weathered many attempts to shut us down and silence the counterpoint to the mainstream.

You can count on us for rigorous journalism and fearless opposition to an increasingly fascist government and right wing mainstream media.

In return you get:

  • Advert free reading experience
  • Behind the scenes monthly e-newsletter
  • 20% discount from our shop

 

The Canary Fund us

Related articles