'WOEFUL'
Piers Morgan tears into minister after ‘car crash’ interview suggesting Gov could blame scientists for care home fiasco
PIERS Morgan tore into Care Minister Helen Whately after she suggested in a car crash interview the Government could blame scientists over the handling of coronavirus.
In a massive on-air blunder Ms Whately said she could "stick it" to the scientists over the deaths of more than 12,000 people in care homes.
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Sky News' Kay Burley grilled the Care Minister over the decision to discharge people out of hospital beds and into care homes without being tested for coronavirus, when the Government knew the elderly were more vulnerable to the virus.
When Ms Burley said the Government couldn't just "stick this" to the scientists, Ms Whately said: "Well I can."
She then desperately tried to row back what she had just said, saying: "No, no that's not what I meant to say."
But Ms Burley said: "You just said I can stick this on the scientists - that is your words.
"I didn't put that in your mouth."
Piers Morgan leapt on the opportunity to call out Ms Whately over her claims the scientists could be blamed.
He tweeted: "[Ms Whately] still can’t answer simple questions, still can’t stop laughing.. & now contradicting something she says seconds before. Woeful."
In the interview the Sky news presenter said: "You got it wrong - discharging elderly people from hospital without being tested, who we know are most at risk."
At every point in the interview Ms Whately said decisions were made by "listening to the guidance and science".
She said "most care homes" avoided having outbreaks at all, despite a third of British care homes reporting coronavirus in their residents.
She said: "We made clinical judgments about what would be in the clinical interest of people."
But Kay hit back: "It was policy it wasn't clinical judgment."
Trying to speak over her, Ms Whately repeated: "We listened to the scientific advice."
Ms Burley pushed harder, saying: "And then you make the policy, you take their advice and then you make the policy."
The disastrous interview on Sky News was just the latest in a string of on-air mishaps for Ms Whately during the coronavirus crisis.
'Doesn't know anything about anything'
She was accused by Piers Morgan of laughing live on tv while talking about the deaths in care homes.
The Good Morning Britain host had been tested during the early stages of the Government's fight against coronavirus in care homes.
Piers then tore into Ms Whately again
Piers weighed into the latest interview, after Ms Whately could not answer how many people had been quarantined one day into the new 14-day isolation rules for travellers.
He said: "Do you remember she's the care minister who had no idea how many people were dying in care homes, no idea how many health workers were dying.
"She now has no idea how many people have been quarantined.
"I think we've established, Helen Whately, you have no idea about anything."
"You ask (Government ministers) simple questions and they can't answer any of them. How did she ever get to be care minister?
"I'm not being funny. But she doesn't seem to know anything about anything."
Piers Morgan slams 'utterly useless' Care Minister Helen Whately for not knowing quarantine figures for UK arrivals
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