Forgetful Rishi Sunak says he cannot bear in mind greater than 20 instances at Covid Inquiry

Rishi Sunak insisted his virus-spreading Eat Out To Help Out scheme was the “right thing to do” as he argued his “Dr Death” nickname was unfair.

The PM appeared rattled as he confronted six hours of questions on the Covid Inquiry about his position as Chancellor through the pandemic. Mr Sunak, who usually prides himself on being a particulars man, repeatedly stated he couldn’t bear in mind key conferences, emails and conversations.

He additionally admitted he had failed to offer any of his WhatsApp messages as he claimed that they had all been misplaced when he modified cell phone. In one awkward second, he was compelled to disclaim that he had described mother and father whose kids are entitled to free college meals as “freeloaders”.

TUC Assistant General Secretary Kate Bell stated: “Rishi Sunak said under oath that it was important to learn the lessons of Covid. Yet he failed to recollect vital details of public interest on more than 20 occasions. And he refused time and again to take any responsibility for his actions. Without proper candour and accountability from our leaders, we risk making the same mistakes again.”

Naomi Fulop of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK stated that “over and over again” Mr Sunak had claimed “he could ‘not recall’ key moments from his time as Chancellor”. “The public does though,” she declared. “He was and continues to be a public health hazard – and for the sake of our safety he must resign.”

Mr Sunak dismissed criticism of his Eat Out To Help Scheme as he argued many hospitality jobs would have been put at risk with “devastating consequences” if it hadn’t been launched in August 2020. “In order to safeguard the roles of 2million folks working within the sector, you want folks to go and use these companies,” he said.

Grilled on why Government scientists including Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty had not been consulted on the idea, Mr Sunak insisted the £840million discount scheme was a “micro policy”. Sir Chris is said to have privately referred to it as “Eat Out To Help Out The Virus”, while Sir Patrick Vallance, who was chief scientific adviser, last month told the inquiry it was “extremely seemingly” to have fuelled deaths. But Mr Sunak hit back arguing they had “ample opportunity to raise those concerns between the announcement of the scheme and its implementation”. “None of them chose to do so in any forum that they were in,” he added.

The inquiry has previously been shown a WhatsApp message in which Professor Dame Angela McLean, who is now Chief Scientific Adviser, described Mr Sunak as “Dr Death the Chancellor”, while Boris Johnson reportedly described the Treasury under his leadership the “pro-death squad”. Asked whether he was aware of what his former department was being called, Mr Sunak said: “I wasn’t and I don’t assume it’s a honest characterisation on the extremely exhausting working those who I used to be fortunate to be supported by on the Treasury.”

At the beginning of his evidence, Mr Sunak said it was “important that we learn lessons” as he issued an apology to families who lost loved ones. “I simply wished to start out by saying how deeply sorry I’m to all of those that misplaced family members, members of the family, by means of the pandemic, and likewise all those that suffered in varied alternative ways all through the pandemic and on account of the actions that had been taken,” he stated.

“I’ve thought a lot about this over the past couple of years. It’s important that we learn the lessons so that we can be better prepared in the future.”