Sky Sports football pundit Jeff Stelling calls Boris Johnson coronavirus briefings ‘self-serving propaganda'

Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling. Photograph: Prostate Cancer UK/Contributed. - Credit: Archant

Football pundit Jeff Stelling has hit out at the government’s response to the coronavirus – claiming it had got it ‘horrifically wrong’ and that the daily press conferences were ‘nothing more than self serving propaganda’.

The Sky Sports presenter, not known for political outbursts, turned to Twitter to express his frustrations with the latest Downing Street briefings, posting: ‘Does not matter which way you voted – everyone can surely see the government press conferences are nothing more than self serving propaganda.

‘This is a government which got it horrifically wrong trying desperately to cover its tracks and always hide behind the science!’

The Soccer Saturday host struck a chord on Twitter with viewers watching Boris Johnson’s return in front of the cameras.

David Head said ‘Spot on!’ while Vinny Donohue admitted he longer watched briefings because ‘their bragging about getting everything right is nauseating whilst hundreds die every day.’

A Twitter user, giving the name of Athers, said that the daily press conferences had become a ‘daily political broadcast’, arguing ‘it shouldn’t be this way.’

Gary Laidlaw wrote it was unsurprising that the UK and US had some of the highest coronavirus death tolls in the world: ‘It’s no surprise that the 2 countries with the most self-serving governments account for 40% of global deaths to date.’

Another praised Johnson’s opposite number north of the border: ‘You could always watch @NicolaSturgeon daily briefings. Clear, concise and honest. No bluff and bluster from our First Minister.’

But some were not so welcoming. Dave Walton-Gould recommended Stelling not give up on his daytime job: ‘Stick to footie Jeff. Love u on Soccer Saturday’.