UNIONIST newspapers can say ridiculous things about Boris Johnson at the best of times but they're really taking the biscuit now.
The Prime Minister's partner Carrie Symond gave birth to a baby boy at an NHS hospital in London yesterday ... and the mainstream media was delighted.
"Good news at last for Britain" is The Sun's take on the news as it splashes on the birth of the PM's baby, and Captain Tom Moore turning 100 today.
In a comment piece in the paper titled "Boris’ baby joy is a happy moment – unless you’re a leftie conspiracy theorist", executive editor Dan Wootton wrote: "This is a happy moment in the life of Boris and Carrie. And my God they deserve some happiness after the month they’ve just endured.
"There’s nothing political about it and if you can’t accept that then you’re totally out of step with the country and probably have BoJo derangement syndrome. Seek help."
Johnson's baby news also features prominently on the Daily Telegraph's front page, with columnist Judith Woods describing it as a "balm for the soul in these anxious times". She adds that Johnson's "crumpled features" were "illuminated with ... infectious joy" over the "bouncing Brexit boy".
"A bouncing baby Brexit boy"
— Ross McCafferty (@RossMcCaff) April 30, 2020
How can you write this? Genuinely how do the words leave your pen without you just curdle up in shame?
North Korea isn't even in it pic.twitter.com/s3MTmtiqam
"New dad Boris bounces back to work" is the Daily Express's take on the news.
The Daily Mail's front page reports on two "special deliveries": the birth of the PM's son and the arrival of a planeload of protective kit to the NHS frontline. It describes Johnson as "daddy cool".
The Metro referred to the baby as "baby Bojoy" accompanied by a picture of Johnson returning to Downing Street.
And in perhaps the most ridiculous statement, The Times suggests that despite living in a time of the global pandemic and its aftermath, austerity and Brexit, the child is "lucky" and "Britain in 2020 is an excellent place and time to enter the world."
In an editorial, it said: "These are difficult days for optimists. Yet perspective must be maintained. The coronavirus pandemic has thus far killed more than 225,000 people worldwide in four months. While each of these deaths is a tragedy, so each of the estimated 390,000 babies born just yesterday across the planet is a source of joy."
Social media users hit out at the media's coverage of the birth, with Scottish lawyer Aamer Anwar describing the headlines as "pathetic".
Here are the best responses:
1.
In the last 10 months alone, Boris Johnson has become PM, broke the constitution, started Brexit, won an election, got divorced, got engaged, nearly died, had a baby, and buggered up a pandemic so badly that 40 thousand people died.
— Guy Fawkes (@blunted_james) April 29, 2020
We’ve got him for 5 years.
2.
Television news footage of cases of champagne arriving at Downing Street to celebrate Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds’ baby must go down well at #foodbanks struggling to feed the most vulnerable people in society. I’m reminded of Corbyn’s refrain: ‘For the many, not the few’...
— Mark Blacklock #StayHomeOr2MetresApart (@MarxMedia) April 29, 2020
3.
Just had this email from a listener...
— Iain Dale (@IainDale) April 30, 2020
"Dear Iain, This is a matter of utmost importance. Please could you find out why Nicola Sturgeon didn’t announce Boris and Carrie's baby before Downing Street did?"
I am sure MI5 are on the case already.
Gave me a good laugh anyway.
4.
I dare every reporter to ask Boris Johnson how he is going to manage being Prime Minister AND having a new baby to care for. Y'all asked Jacinda, so come on, ask Boris.
— Dr Bron Harman (@DrBron) April 30, 2020
5.
Can the media PLEASE stop fawning over the #BorisBaby? There’s a global pandemic with 500+ dying every single day in the UK alone. There’s more important things than ‘man has a baby’.
— Harry Craig 🇪🇺 (@hazcraig16) April 29, 2020
Headlines you definitely won't find in The National ...
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