Boris Johnson’s Covid calamity – late lockdown, Partygate and ‘bamboozled’

Boris Johnson faces a brutal grilling as he’s hauled earlier than the Covid Inquiry at the moment.

The former PM will give proof throughout two days on at the moment and tomorrow, earlier than Rishi Sunak seems subsequent week. Mr Johnson will face tough questions, together with over claims he stated he would moderately “let the bodies pile high” than impose one other lockdown. Dominic Cummings and former No10 director of communications Lee Cain each instructed the inquiry final month how Mr Johnson dithered over key choices as he consistently modified his thoughts. Mr Cain stated it was “the wrong crisis for this Prime Minister’s skillset”, as he admitted Mr Johnson was a “challenging character to work with” as he “will oscillate” and “take a decision from the last person in the room”.

Mr Cummings conceded it was “pretty insane” many senior authorities officers together with Mr Johnson went on vacation in February 2020 half time period moderately than assist to arrange for the pandemic. The inquiry has additionally heard claims Mr Johnson requested scientists if folks may kill Covid by blowing a hairdryer up their nostril. Here are a number of the key questions Mr Johnson should reply – beneath oath – on the Covid Inquiry.

Do you now admit saying ‘let the our bodies pile excessive’?

Boris Johnson has repeatedly denied claims that he stated he was prepared to “let the bodies pile high”, together with in tv interviews and within the House of Commons. But in his assertion to the inquiry, his former No10 chief-of-staff Lord Lister stated he’d heard it. “I recall the PM saying in September 2020 that he would rather ‘let the bodies pile high’ than impose another lockdown,” he wrote.

Mr Johnson will probably be requested beneath oath if he nonetheless denies making the remarks. He’ll even be questioned on bombshell claims in former Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance’s diaries, together with that he argued Covid is “just nature’s way of dealing with old people” and that he was ready to allow them to die as they’d had “a good innings”.

Why didn’t you be taught classes after locking down late?

Matt Hancock final week admitted that “many, many lives” have been misplaced as a result of the primary nationwide lockdown was imposed three weeks later than it ought to have been. “The facts show that delaying a lockdown leads to a worse lockdown – with worse health and economic outcomes,” he wrote in his witness assertion. Despite the errors made in March 2020, the Government was gradual to introduce each the second and third nationwide lockdowns, which got here in November 2020 and January 2021.

Why did you go on a ten day vacation as Covid hit Britain?

The inquiry has heard that Mr Johnson obtained no emails, Cobra briefings or written papers about Covid for 10 days in the course of the February 2020 half time period – although the primary circumstances of the virus had already been present in Britain. The PM spent the break at Chevening, the grace-and-favour mansion in Kent. In his witness assertion, Dominic Cummings wrote : “He said he wanted to work on his Shakespeare book.” Mr Johnson signed a guide deal in 2015 to write down Shakespeare: The Riddle of Genius, however it has by no means been revealed.

Did ‘pro-death squad’ chief Rishi Sunak block measures?

The PM will probably be requested about his friend-turned-foe Rishi Sunak, who was Chancellor in the course of the pandemic. In his diary, Sir Patrick wrote that Mr Johnson described the Treasury beneath his management as a “pro-death squad”. It has additionally been urged that Mr Sunak believed the Government ought to “just let people die and that’s okay”.

Questions have additionally been raised about Mr Sunak’s Eat Out To Help Out, which was launched with out the data of Government scientists. Professor Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, nicknamed the August 2020 half-price meals scheme “Eat Out To Help Out The Virus”.

Why didn’t you sack Dominic Cummings over Barnard Castle row?

The inquiry has heard that Mr Johnson needed to hurry to scrap Covid restrictions as a distraction after it was revealed that Dominic Cummings had damaged lockdown guidelines. The Mirror broke the story that the PM’s high aide had pushed 264 miles from London to his dad and mom’ property in Durham in March 2020 regardless of having coronavirus signs.

In a diary entry two days after the Mirror revealed its scoop in May 2020, Sir Patrick warned that Mr Cummings’ journey was “clearly against the rules”. He wrote: “PM seems very bullish and wants to have everything released sooner and more extremely than we would. Wants to divert from the DC (Dominic Cummings) fiasco.”

Was it a mistake not to increase sick pay?

Mr Hancock on Friday admitted sick pay in the UK “is far too low” and that he would “double it”. The inquiry has heard how Mr Sunak blocked plans to give low paid workers financial support if they needed to isolate despite warnings it was necessary to stop Covid spreading.

Mr Johnson also is accused of venting at “malingering workshy people” as he pushed to get them back in offices. In an entry in Sir Patrick’s diary in July 2021, he wrote that the PM told a meeting: “We can’t have the b*****ks of consulting with employees and trade unions. They need to come back to work. All the malingering work shy people.”

Did Matt Hancock repeatedly lie when Health Secretary?

One of the things that has been raised time and time again by key witnesses is Matt Hancock not telling the truth to ministers and officials during the crisis. Sir Patrick said the former Health Secretary had a “behavior of claiming issues” that weren’t true, while former Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill said he urged Mr Johnson to sack him.

Ex-Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara said he displayed “nuclear ranges” of overconfidence. Mr Johnson will be asked to clear up Mr Hancock’s claim last week that he told him a lockdown was necessary on March 13 2020, 10 days before a lockdown was eventually announced. No evidence has been provided to back up his version of events.

Were you ‘bamboozled’ by the science during the pandemic?

One of the most unexpected things to emerge from the inquiry was the claim Mr Johnson requested scientists if folks may kill Covid by blowing a hairdryer up their nostril. Sir Patrick, who was Chief Scientific Adviser, has stated Mr Johnson was typically “bamboozled” by graphs and that watching him “get his head round stats is awful.” He told the inquiry: “I think I’m right in saying that the Prime Minister gave up science at 15. I think he’d be the first to admit it wasn’t his forte and that he struggled with the concepts and we did need to repeat them — often.”

Was Carrie Johnson actually in cost?

Among the various WhatsApps to be revealed was a message wherein Cabinet Secretary Simon Case joked that the PM’s spouse Carrie Johnson was “the real person in charge” in the course of the pandemic. In the alternate in October 2020, he wrote: “Not sure I can cope today… I’m going to scream.” Lee Cain, who was No10 director of communications, replied: “Sigh. Wtf are we talking about.”

The top civil servant responded: “Whatever Carrie wants I guess.” In another message he joked: “I was always told Dom [Cummings] was the secret PM. How wrong they are. I look forward to telling select cttee tomorrow ‘oh f*** no, don’t worry about Dom. The real person in charge is Carrie’.”

Do you remorse events in Downing Street?

The inquiry has heard that No10 grew to become “toxic” and “dysfunctional” beneath Mr Johnson’s management. In a WhatsApp in June 2020, Mr Case wrote : “It is like taming wild animals. Nothing in my past experience has prepared me for this madness. The PM and the people he chooses to surround himself with are basically feral.” Mr Johnson will probably be requested if he regrets the tradition that was allowed on his watch, together with the scandal of lockdown-busting events first uncovered by the Mirror. These together with his 56th birthday celebration, for which he was fined by the Metropolitan Police.