I think that the UK is a fantastic country. I think we are a very, very resilient and robust and creative economy, and we will bounce back.
Analyse
The exact wording appears in the official transcript of Johnson's March 16, 2020 speech, where he praised the United Kingdom as a "fantastic country" with a "very, very resilient and robust and creative economy" and said the nation would "bounce back". Multiple reputable news outlets reproduced the quote verbatim.
Achtergrond
In early March 2020, as COVID-19 cases rose, the UK government delivered several public speeches to reassure citizens. Johnson's remarks were part of an effort to bolster public morale and confidence in the economy before stricter lockdown measures were introduced later that month.
Samenvatting verdict
Boris Johnson made the quoted statement during a televised address in March 2020.
Geraadpleegde bronnen
— BBC News – "Boris Johnson's March 16, 2020 address transcript" (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51899932)
— The Guardian – "Full text of Boris Johnson’s speech on the coronavirus, March 2020" (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/mar/16/boris-johnson-covid-19-speech)
— UK Parliament – Official record of the Prime Minister’s statements (https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2020/march/prime-minister-address/)