Jacob Rees-Mogg Moans About The 'Endless Carping' Of People Unable To Get Coronavirus Tests

The Tory MP said instead the nation should be "celebrating this phenomenal success" of "our administration".
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Jacob Rees-Mogg has described the concerns of those who are struggling to get tested for coronavirus amid a nationwide shortage as “endless carping”.

Instead, the Tory MP told the Commons on Thursday, people should be celebrating that “our administration” has been able to establish a testing system at all given “we have gone from a disease that nobody knew about a few months ago”.

To every parent who wants a test for their kids.

To every worker who needs a test to go back to work.

To every person worried about the virus.

This Government thinks you should stop the "endless carping".

Out of touch. Out of ideas. Out of their depth. pic.twitter.com/YMFLxUHlwU

— Bridget Phillipson (@bphillipsonMP) September 17, 2020

At around the same time as Rees-Mogg speaking, the latest figures from his administration showed the number of tests completed in 24 hours had plummeted in just a week.

This comes just a day after health secretary Matt Hancock announced tests would have to be rationed as there aren’t enough to go round despite a huge surge in cases across the country.

By this logic. We’ll stop grieving the loss of my mother in law and celebrate that my next door neighbours didn’t die of it. https://t.co/PaSTlzIpf6

— Rick Turner (@Rick_Turner) September 17, 2020

Rees-Mogg said: “The issue of testing is one where we have gone from a disease that nobody knew about a few months ago to one where nearly a quarter of a million people a day can be tested and the prime minister is expecting that to half a million people a day by the end of October.

“Instead of this endless carping saying it’s difficult to get them, we should actually be celebrating this phenomenal success of the British nation in getting up to a quarter of a million tests of a disease that nobody knew about until earlier in the year.

“That is a success of our scientists, our health experts and of our administration.

“And yes there’s demand for more and yes demand exceeds supply, but supply is increasing and what is being done is really rather remarkable and something we should be proud of.”

Jacob Rees-Mogg actually, literally, really just said that we should stop the 'endless carping' about the difficulty of getting coronavirus tests. Yet another example of real life out-satirising satire.

— Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen) September 17, 2020

Responding to the comments, Labour’s shadow minister for public health, Alex Norris, said the government had “resorted to a blizzard of blame shifting and excuses”.

He added: “Now, out-of-touch ministers have got a new message to those who can’t get tests: ‘stop complaining and praise us’.

“Jacob Rees-Mogg should immediately apologise. Whining about the public not being grateful enough won’t sort anything - only his government can fix the testing shambles they are presiding over.”

Want to be tested for a deadly virus that has disrupted lives and livelihoods?

Jacob Rees-Mogg:
‘stop the endless carping’

— Greg Herriett #GTTO (@greg_herriett) September 17, 2020

It is almost four months since Boris Johnson told MPs the Government’s test, track and trace operation would be “world-beating”. But facing the Commons Liaison Committee on Wednesday, the PM was forced to acknowledge the situation was not “ideal” as demand was vastly outstripping capacity.

He was left with little choice. Across the country, people have described being told to travel hundreds of miles to get their children tested.

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