Matt Hancock claims Boris Johnson ‘apologised for hiring Dominic Cummings’

Boris Johnson “apologised to Matt Hancock” for hiring Dominic Cummings to work in Number 10, the previous Health Secretary has claimed.

In paperwork submitted alongside his proof to the Covid-19 inquiry, Mr Hancock repeatedly complained about Mr Cummings’ behaviour – which he claims the ex-PM accepted had “damaged” the coronavirus response effort. It follows a long-running feud between the previous Health Secretary and Mr Johnson’s former chief advisor.

He claimed Mr Cummings had tried to “centralise power” to himself – and mentioned his decision-making was “known to be erratic.” But Mr Cummings has beforehand claimed Mr Johnson had declared Mr Hancock to be “totally f***ing hopeless”.

During Mr Hancock’s day-and-a-half of proof to the Inquiry, Mr Cummings continuously posted on Twitter, accusing him of “lie after lie after lie” and saying: “Hancock admits he didn’t read SAGE minutes in Feb – explains a lot.”

Mr Johnson’s spokesman wouldn’t be drawn on if or when an apology had been given to Mr Hancock. He mentioned: “ Boris Johnson will be at the Covid Inquiry next week and is looking forward to assisting the Inquiry with its important work.”

Mr Johnson is reportedly set to inform the Inquiry that he “unquestionably made mistakes” in his dealing with of the pandemic.

But in response to The Times, the British chief through the coronavirus outbreak will argue that choices he took, together with ordering three lockdowns in England, ended up saving “tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives”.

He is predicted to say that with out such restrictions, 1000’s extra folks would have had “miserable and unnecessary deaths, some of them in hospital car parks and corridors” as a result of well being service turning into overwhelmed by the virus.

Mr Johnson is because of seem subsequent week earlier than the inquiry, which he arrange whereas nonetheless in Downing Street. Aides to the previous Conservative Party chief mentioned the briefing to the newspaper had not come from them.

The Times mentioned Mr Johnson’s written assertion, which is more likely to be printed after his look earlier than the general public inquiry, is ready to barely point out his former senior aide Dominic Cummings. Acting as his de facto chief of employees in Downing Street till late 2020, Mr Cummings has been an outspoken critic of Mr Johnson’s since their acrimonious cut up.

Mr Johnson is reportedly set to again under-fire former well being secretary Matt Hancock, who has been singled out for criticism by a bunch of inquiry witnesses, saying he did a “good job in very difficult circumstances”. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who served as chancellor through the pandemic and whose resignation in July 2022 helped set off the top of Mr Johnson’s premiership, is ready to be largely absent from the previous premier’s written testimony, in response to the newspaper.

The Times mentioned he’s planning to defend Mr Sunak’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme, a government-backed low cost provision that was designed to help the hospitality sector following the primary lockdown.

Mr Johnson will reportedly say the proposal was “properly discussed” with England’s chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty and former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance regardless of each saying they didn’t learn about it till it was introduced. It is probably going Mr Johnson can be quizzed on accusations that his No 10 operation was dysfunctional – a declare made by former chancellor and well being secretary Sajid Javid this week on the inquiry.

Mr Javid mentioned it felt like “key decisions were being made by Mr Cummings and not the prime minister”, one thing the skilled politician mentioned he had by no means seen earlier than below different prime ministers.

Mr Johnson can be more likely to be requested about lockdown-breaching events that had been held in Downing Street. Dubbed the partygate scandal, it helped result in Mr Johnson’s exit from excessive workplace final 12 months and eventual resolution in June, following a probe by regulation makers into whether or not he misled Parliament over the gatherings, to give up as an MP.

Mr Sunak is predicted to offer proof in individual earlier than Christmas, with chairwoman Baroness Hallett at present wanting into UK decision-making through the second part of her inquiry.