Piers Morgan has prompted a backlash with comments that compared the Covid pandemic to fighting Nazis during World War II.
The former Good Morning Britain presenter was one of many figures to criticise Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to ease Covid regulations later this month.
According to professor Neil Ferguson, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), which advises the government, cases could conceivably hit 150,000-200,000 a day after measures are relaxed.
Posting on Twitter, Morgan asked: “Can you imagine Twitter half way through WW2?”
Then, imagining what people who want lockdown to lift now might have been saying then, he wrote: “‘I’m f***ing done with Hitler and the Nazis impinging on my liberty, so let’s stop f***ing fighting them right now and pretend they’re not there any more. I want my f***ing freedom back.’”
Recommended
Reaction to Morgan’s tweet was mixed, with some people agreeing that it highlighted the weakness of the government’s current Covid strategy.
Others, however, took issue with the comparison, with some deeming it “a very odd metaphor”, and “an insult”.
“Ffs, to even think about comparing the two events let alone tweet it,” wrote one Twitter user.
“Comparing WW2 with covid.. I’m sure those who dies & survived the Holocaust would appreciate that,” wrote another.
“’Alexa, show me a terrible analogy,’” joked someone else.
You can keep up to date with the latest Covid news developments here.
