'Arrogant and offensive': Civil service's
official Twitter account reacts to Boris Johnson's vocal defence of Dominic
Cummings
Tweet is removed after 10 minutes, but not before
almost 40,000 people have 'liked' it
Andrew
WoodcockPolitical Editor @andywoodcock
3 days ago
Following
Boris Johnson’s defence of Dominic Cummings at the Downing Street coronavirus
briefing, the official UK Civil Service Twitter feed sent out the message:
“Arrogant and offensive. Can you imagine having to work with these truth
twisters?”
The tweet
was removed within about 10 minutes of first appearing on the micro-blogging
website, but not before it had been shared by around 25,000 users and liked by
almost 40,000.
And Harry
Potter author JK Rowling offered to donate a year's salary to whoever was
responsible.
It was not
immediately apparent how the message got onto the Twitter feed, which has a
blue tick to indicate it is verified, and features on the civil service
website.
But a
government spokesman confirmed that the message was "unauthorised"
and said an investigation had been launched.
Responding
to the announcement of an investigation, Rowling posted on Twitter:
"When you find out who it was, let us know. I want to give them a year’s
salary." And footballer and BBC pundit Gary Lineker highlighted the fact
that no similar investigation was being launched into Mr Cummings' apparent
breach of lockdown rules.
The message
did not name any individuals, but was posted just minutes after Mr Johnson's
appearance at the daily press conference, at which he said it was "totally
understandable" that his aide should have driven 260 miles across the
country to a house near his parents' home with his wife, who had coronavirus, and
their child.
At the time
of Mr Cummings's move from London to Durham, the government's clear instruction
to all UK residents was to "stay home" and to those suffering from
the infection to remain in self-isolation for seven days without leaving the premises
where they were staying.
A message
sent on the official UK Civil Service Twitter feed moments after Boris Johnson
defended his aide Dominic Cummings in a televised briefing. (Twitter)
The PM
dodged a number of questions about Mr Cummings's movements as he claimed that
the former Vote Leave supremo's "sole objective" in making his
journey had been to "avoid such contact as would spread the virus".
A UK
government spokesperson said: "An unauthorised tweet was posted on a
government channel this evening. The post has been removed and we are
investigating the matter."
In
response, Lineker tweeted: "An unauthorised journey was taken by a
government adviser. The advisor will not be removed and we are not
investigating the matter."
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