Coronavirus UK: Philip Pullman slams government over PPE

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Philip Pullman says UK government should face ‘conspiracy to murder’ charges if it is found that MPs rejected EU deal for PPE ‘for Brexit reasons’

  • Philip Pullman, 73, made arguments as part of a series of essays from Penguin 
  • He said ‘entire front bench’ should resign if PPE deal was rejected due to Brexit
  • Novelist also urged for UK to take a step back from Brexit itself amid pandemic
  • Britain has missed three chances to take part in the EU scheme to bulk-buy PPE
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Katie Weston For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

The author of His Dark Materials has called for the government to face ‘conspiracy to murder’ charges if it is revealed the UK rejected an EU scheme to buy huge quantities of personal protective equipment (PPE) for ‘Brexit-related reasons’.

Philip Pullman, 73, said, if true, the ‘entire front bench ought to resign’ but predicted they will not, adding: ‘They have not a single grain of shame.’

The EU has ordered €1.5billion (£1.3billion) worth of protective masks, gowns and gloves for doctors and nurses – but Britain did not take part in talks about the purchases.

Philip Pullman, pictured, 73, called for the government to face ‘conspiracy to murder’ charges if it is revealed the UK rejected an EU scheme for PPE due to ‘Brexit-related reasons’

Writing in an essay for Penguin, Pullman argued: ‘If it turns out to be true that the government for Brexit-related reasons refused to take part in the procurement advantage offered by EU governments, thus making it harder for the NHS to deal with the Covid-19 and placing thousands of people at risk, the entire front bench ought to resign. 

‘But of course they won’t: they have not a single grain of shame. So they should be arraigned on charges of conspiracy to murder. Nothing less will do. They knew the risks, and thought they’d rather appease the foaming zealots of Brexit.’

The novelist also urged for the UK to take a step back from Brexit itself amid the coronavirus crisis.

He wrote: ‘There are so many clear advantages to being in the EU, and the benefits of leaving are so tenuous and fanciful, that we must revisit the referendum and hope that this time the Labour Party under a new leader will play a proper part in the argument; and that the lies, the cheating, the flagrant and shameless mendacity will be fully exposed by a strong, passionate, and focused campaign to remain.’

Pullman made the arguments as part of a series from Penguin, named Perspectives, in which writers share their views on the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the publishing company, £10,000 has been donated towards booksellers affected by the virus outbreak on behalf of the essayists. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson pictured as he speaks from 10 Downing Street praising NHS staff for saving his life in a video message after he was discharged from hospital

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson pictured as he speaks from 10 Downing Street praising NHS staff for saving his life in a video message after he was discharged from hospital

Some 25 European countries and eight companies are involved in the joint PPE procurement scheme and the first deliveries could have been received within days, The Guardian reported.

A spokesman for the commission previously said the joint scheme led to offers of protective gear in excess of the amount requested.

But the UK will miss out on the PPE because it did not take part in any of the three rounds of bulk-buying which were first launched by the EU in February.

The Government has said it was unable to join the EU’s procurement schemes as it had not received an email of invitation.

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said the Government is confident that joining the EU’s ventilator schemes ‘wouldn’t have made any difference to the supply of PPE’.

Speaking to LBC, Ms Coffey previously claimed the UK ‘is in a better place now than necessarily we would have been under the EU scheme’. 

She said: ‘The important point is that we have over 700 million pieces of PPE that are being delivered.’

On ventilators, Ms Coffey added: ‘I think it is fair to say ventilators are being designed at a rapid speed by industry.

‘We also have the situation where they have to be tested. The last thing your listeners would want is ventilators that do not work in our wards.’

A history of British author Philip Pullman’s past controversies

In January, author Philip Pullman claimed the new 50p Brexit coin is missing an Oxford comma.

He told followers the commemorative Brexit coin should be ‘boycotted by all literate people’ because it is missing the ‘correct’ punctuation. 

But his intervention divided opinion, with social media users split on whether the controversial punctuation mark is used in British English.

Earlier this year, Pullman shared his opinion on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ‘stepping back’ from Royal duties.

He wrote: ‘Of course Meghan Markle is attacked by the British press because she’s black, and of course Prince Harry is right to defend her. What a foul country this is.’  

Last year, the novelist tweeted: ‘When I hear the name ‘Boris Johnson’, for some reason the words ‘rope’ and ‘nearest lamp-post’ come to mind as well’.

Following criticism, he deleted the tweet and apologised, saying he ‘does not advocate hanging Boris Johnson’.

Pullman’s fantasy trilogy, His Dark Materials, was slammed as anti-Christian by Vatican newspaper l’Osservatore Romano when the movie was released, bringing comparisons with 2005’s controversial The Da Vinci Code.

In a long editorial the newspaper criticised the film and the British author of the fantasy adventure Northern Lights, from which the film is adapted.