Current Affairs The next Tory (strong and stable) leader is Boris Johnson

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Some terrible revelations coming out about him and his terrible govt in Today's covid inquiry.


Boris Johnson had a 10-day break in February 2020 during which he appeared to receive no messages from his team at No 10 about coronavirus, the Covid inquiry heard today. The claim was made by Hugo Keith KC, counsel for the inquiry, and it was not denied by Martin Reynolds, Johnson’s principal private secretary at the time. (See 12.43pm.) Reynolds was giving evidence for most of the day and, although he seemed reluctant to criticise Johnson strongly, he did not say anything that countered the claim that Johnson was unduly complacent about the risk of Covid in January, February and early March 2020. Reynolds suggested that Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s former chief adviser, who is giving evidence tomorrow, was to blame for some of the dysfunctionality in No 10. (See 11.33am.) Reynolds also said he could not remember why he turned on the disappearing function for messages in a No 10 WhatsApp group shortly before the Covid inquiry was announced (see 11.08am) and, after being pressed repeatedly by Keith, he eventually admitted No 10 did not have a proper plan for Covid in place by early March 2020 (see 12.55pm). During the hearing private WhatsApp messages not previously published were disclosed confirming that Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, was driven to despair by Johnson’s dithering. (See 2.15pm and 3.05pm.) Imran Shafi, a more junior private secretary working for Johnson at the time, also gave evidence, and he said No 10 should have spent every day in February working on a detailed Covid plan. (See 3.58pm.) The inquiry heard that in March, shortly before the full lockdown was announced, in a meeting between Johnson and Rishi Sunak, the then chancellor, one of the participants asked what was the point of having an economy-destorying lockdown “for people who will die anyway soon”. Asked who had used the phrase, Shafi said he was not sure, but thought it had been Johnson. (See 4.35pm.)
 
Some terrible revelations coming out about him and his terrible govt in Today's covid inquiry.


Boris Johnson had a 10-day break in February 2020 during which he appeared to receive no messages from his team at No 10 about coronavirus, the Covid inquiry heard today. The claim was made by Hugo Keith KC, counsel for the inquiry, and it was not denied by Martin Reynolds, Johnson’s principal private secretary at the time. (See 12.43pm.) Reynolds was giving evidence for most of the day and, although he seemed reluctant to criticise Johnson strongly, he did not say anything that countered the claim that Johnson was unduly complacent about the risk of Covid in January, February and early March 2020. Reynolds suggested that Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s former chief adviser, who is giving evidence tomorrow, was to blame for some of the dysfunctionality in No 10. (See 11.33am.) Reynolds also said he could not remember why he turned on the disappearing function for messages in a No 10 WhatsApp group shortly before the Covid inquiry was announced (see 11.08am) and, after being pressed repeatedly by Keith, he eventually admitted No 10 did not have a proper plan for Covid in place by early March 2020 (see 12.55pm). During the hearing private WhatsApp messages not previously published were disclosed confirming that Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, was driven to despair by Johnson’s dithering. (See 2.15pm and 3.05pm.) Imran Shafi, a more junior private secretary working for Johnson at the time, also gave evidence, and he said No 10 should have spent every day in February working on a detailed Covid plan. (See 3.58pm.) The inquiry heard that in March, shortly before the full lockdown was announced, in a meeting between Johnson and Rishi Sunak, the then chancellor, one of the participants asked what was the point of having an economy-destorying lockdown “for people who will die anyway soon”. Asked who had used the phrase, Shafi said he was not sure, but thought it had been Johnson. (See 4.35pm.)
Johnson is lucky that the situation in Israel is monopolising the news at present. Of course the Tory press will more or less ignore it.
 
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