Boris Johnson tried to shut down Brexit 'gloom mongering' and it completely backfired

Boris Johnson has faced the wrath of social media for posting a video banging on about Brexit.

Over on Twitter, he asked people to remember the vaccine rollout and said it was due to the work of "great companies" but also because "we'd taken back control" of the MHRA meaning the vaccine could be approved "faster than any other European country" giving us "a crucial edge".

“So today, on Brexit Day, as we look back at that vaccine roll-out, let’s also look forward to all the other ways in which we can change our country and our economy for the better," he said.

He added: "Let’s shrug off all this negativity and gloom-mongering that I hear about Brexit. Let’s remember the opportunities that lie ahead, and the vaccine roll-out proves it,” he said.

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All sounds very rabble rousing but there are a few issues. In December the MHRA chief executive Dr June Raine said that “we have been able to authorise the supply of this vaccine using provisions under European law”, which then remained in place.

And Kate Bingham, head of Johnson’s vaccine taskforce, said the speedy approval in the UK had “nothing to do with Brexit”.

Nick Ferrari reminded a Tory minister that fact checkers have repeatedly shut down this claim, in an awkward interview yesterday.

With all that in mind, people on social media slammed Johnson.

Look at this put-down from a former Brexit Party MEP for instance:

Better luck next time, Boris.

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