BORIS JOHNSON asking Donald Trump for help in obtaining extra ventilators for coronavirus patients shows a “scary degree of incompetence,” Global Justice Now told the Star.

The campaigning group was responding to the US president’s claim that the Prime Minister had made a “plea” for him to help.

Mr Trump said that he called Mr Johnson after the latter had been diagnosed with coronavirus and asked how he was doing. He claimed that Mr Johnson’s first words to him were “we need ventilators.”

Global Justice Now director Nick Dearden said: “If what Trump says is true – always a big if – then it really shows a scary degree of incompetence and bumble in how the government is dealing with this crisis.

“After all, they apparently missed an email from the EU which could have helped us procure ventilators and they missed an email from a company offering to produce us some.

“And yet Johnson goes running to Trump, of all people, asking for ventilators.

“We can only hope that, even in the middle of such a serious crisis, Johnson’s desire to turn us into a US satellite state is not taking precedence over the urgent need to save lives.”