ON TWITTER

#ROBERTPESTON

Broadcaster Robert Peston has been criticised for saying that the government paid teachers 'for not very much teaching' during school Covid-19 lockdowns.

@scribit wrote: “Bob, I'm literally a fantasy author and I still do more research into what I write about than you seem to have done with this howler.”

@Aleceiffel tweeted: “Robert, I can guarantee that every single teacher in this country worked harder than you – a man, who as far as I can tell, is paid £750,000 a year to paraphrase Whatsapp messages he receives from Dominic Cummings.”

@catheri635 wrote: “This is an outrageous misrepresentation of the work that teachers actually did during lockdown. They were teaching the children of key workers face to face, and doing online teaching for children at home. And to a very high standard. I think an apology is in order.”

@Houstonmargaret said: “Whoa. I know many teachers, and they worked twice as hard when schools were closed. They had to learn how to do online learning overnight, keep track of vulnerable pupils, make online lessons interesting and engaging, etc etc etc. They went from 60-hour weeks to 100-hour ones.”

@paulbernaluk wrote: “In which Peston reveals he doesn’t know any teachers. And doesn’t understand what they’ve been doing.” @joegrowling said: “A new low from Peston. The only teachers not working were the ones who supposedly educated him.”

#COVIDINQUIRY

Boris Johnson announced an independent public inquiry into the UK’S handling of the pandemic will begin in spring 2022, putting ‘the state's actions under the microscope’. He will give evidence under oath.

@nafilescrapbook wrote: “Under oath? Well, then I suppose he will definitely tell the truth.”

@Mrcellophane121 said: “This would mean something if he were to get in trouble for lying under oath but this man and his rich Tory friends literally do whatever they want with zero repercussions.”

@coprophasaurus tweeted: “An oath attached to a death ray if he lies? Because I don't think just an oath will work.”

@bearvestite said: “Wait let me guess... the inquiry will find that there is no structural Covid in the UK?”