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Armando Iannucci praises Platinum Jubilee planners for giving Boris Johnson ‘ironic’ bible reading

‘Hats off to the organisers who fixed it for him to read [that] out,’ creator of ‘The Thick of It’ said

Jacob Stolworthy
Saturday 04 June 2022 10:26 BST
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'Substantial' booing for Boris Johnson as he arrives for Queen’s Jubilee service

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Armando Iannucci has praised the platinum jubilee organiser who got Boris Johnson to read out an “ironic” bible quote.

On Friday (3 June), the prime minister arrived at St Paul’s Cathedral to attend a service in honour of the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. He was met with a “substantial amount” of jeers and boos from the crowd outside.

During the ceremony, which was televised, Johnson gave a reading from the New Testament.

The passage, taken from Phillipians 4:8, read: “Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable … think about these things.”

Following the reading, many highlighted Johnson’s words as “ironic” after months of controversy due to accusastions he lied to Parliament over lockdown parties at Downing Street.

One such person was The Thick of It and Veep creator Iannucci, who wrote on Twitter: “Hats off to the organisers who fixed it for him to read out from Philippians 4 ‘Whatever is true…think about such things.’”

Armando Iannucci commented on Boris Johnson’s bible reading during the Queen’s platinum jubilee service
Armando Iannucci commented on Boris Johnson’s bible reading during the Queen’s platinum jubilee service (Twitter)

The boos for Johnson arrived in the wake of claims that Downing Street is preparing for a “charm offensive” of wavering rebel MPs in the hope they can be won over and a leadership vote avoided.

The Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations will conclude Sunday (5 June).

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