30 October 2023 , 16:09
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The head of the civil service blasted Boris Johnson for making it "impossible" to govern havoc during the pandemic.
In explosive WhatsApp messages, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case accused the PM of making the Government look like a “tragic joke”. The exasperated top official wrote that Mr Johnson alternated between fearing the virus was getting worse and “let it rip” mode when he argued the country is “pathetic” and “needs a cold shower”.
In one chat he warned: “He cannot lead… A weak team definitely cannot succeed in these [circumstances]. IT HAS TO STOP!" The Covid Inquiry also heard that Mr Johnson wanted to rush to scrap Covid restrictions as a distraction after the Mirror revealed in May 2020 that Dominic Cummings had broken lockdown rules.
Former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance described the No10 aide’s trip to Barnard Castle as “clearly against the rules” An extract from his notebooks dated two days after the story broke read: "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. All very worrying. Cabinet all upbeat and 'breezy confidence' - incredibly alarming.”
Sir Patrick said senior No10 officials had tried to "strong arm" him and Professor Sir Chris Whitty into appearing at a press conference
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
The Mirror has gathered together the explosive unedited WhatsApps and notebook extracts presented at the Covid Inquiry, which reveal a culture of chaos at the heart of No10.
Dominic Cummings said discussions with ministers were 'moronic' (COVID INQUIRY/UNPIXS)'Moronic' discussions with minister
WhatsApp group chat between Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, senior No10 adviser Dominic Cummings and Director of Communications Lee Cain.
September 8, 2020:
Dominic Cummings: As always discussions with these ministers is moronic. They cannot understand priorities. They didn't even understand what they were talking about for most of this mtng
Simon Case: Quite
Lee Cain: This is embarrassing
Dominic Cummings: By weekend, he'll be saying 'it is untenable a total disaster we've got to get everybody back to work'
Lee Cain: Yes
September 10, 2020:
Dominic Cummings: Full [shopping trolley emoji] mode. It didn't take til weekend!
Rishi Sunak must suspend Dominic Raab during bullying inquiry says union chief
Lee Cain: What's his issue? Xmas cancelled stuff?
Simon Case: Spectacular today - we want to open up the economy ASAP, forget the bloody virus
Lee Cain: I blame the message #CommsProblem. Hancock has got to go. Joker
'We look like a terrible, tragic joke'
WhatsApp group chat between Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and Director of Communications Lee Cain (unknown date).
Simon Case: This gov't doesn't have the credibility needed to be imposing stuff within only days of deciding not too. We look like a terrible, tragic joke. If we were going hard, that decision was needed weeks ago. I cannot cope with this.
Lee Cain: [Shopping trolley emoji]
Simon Case said: 'We look like a terrible, tragic joke.' (COVID INQUIRY/UNPIXS)Boris Johnson backs 'bulls***' ideas and regrets it later
WhatsApp message by Simon Case (unknown date).
1) At every stage of masks we in the UK have been slow - because our medics/scientists don't like the evidence basis (and unlike others won't operate on a precautionary principle)
2) WHO new guidance came out at the weekend and was clearer on their postion than before
3) Sturgeon jumped on WHO shift on Monday and began UK domestic debate about masks
4) pollind and focus groups show parents still v nervous about safety of schools and support masks
5) weeks ago, we recommended to PM that we create permissive guidance around masks, because we could foresee it was going to be a drama in Sept. Gavin discussed at a Covid cttee mtg. Because at that stage it was Unions pressing for masks (no science back-up), Gavin was in "no surrender" mode and didn't want t give an inch to the unions, so said we should hold firm. PM gave him full support in this approach
6) I advocated shift yesterday because we cannot hold a line on anything, believed we would save later, so wanted to shift early. Holding firm successfully would have meant Chris and Patrick publicly saying WHO/Scotland wrong on science, which they wouldn't do. It also would have meant PM holding a position under sustained attack, which he won't do. All of this would have further dented patent confidence in safety of schools, resulting in increasing out chances of succeeding in the key test of this period (getting schools open next week)
My conclusions:
- out scientists are slow and too purist
- because we have a massive trust deficit with the gov't at the moment, we are finding it impossible to hold debatable positions
- at every turn, PM backs bullshit "no surrender" ideas from Hancock/Williamson/Shapps and then totally regrets it later
- we actually executed yesterday as well as we could have done (largely thanks to Cookie and Alex B). If it weren't for shadow of exams fiasco, it wouldn't have been such a "u-turn issue"
- we really, really need a reshuffle and totally new approach to how this gov't works
'This is danger of becoming Trump-level mad'
WhatsApp group chat between Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, senior No10 adviser Dominic Cummings and Director of Communications Lee Cain (unknown date).
Dominic Cummings: talking to lee earlier, he says ive left you/him in the lurch a bit with the trolley bouncing around on covid over last months or so -- ive been trying to get other stuff going -- a/ sorry b/he's prob right and i need to be more engaged in it and help you/lee manage him better. lee thinks i do so unless you disagree ill shift focus a bit...? no need for text, can discuss monday... nothing wd make me happier than a reply on lines of... we got this -- we got this, covid is solved, chill, keep doing your r&d mtngs...!
Dominic Cummings: *Link to 'You're the mayor of shark city' scene from Jaws (1975) on YouTube* Lee is worried hes slipping further into Mayor of Shark City...
Simon Case: I would appreciate your appreciate your help in getting him back to some sense. He does seem to just want to declare that we are over Covid and that it is going to just all be fine. He says he want to get everything open in the Autumn and end social distancing. This is in danger of becoming Trump/Bolsonaro level mad and dangerous.
Simon Case said: 'This is in danger of becoming Trump/Bolsonaro level mad and dangerous.' (COVID INQUIRY/UNPIXS)Boris Johnson made it 'impossible' for Government
WhatsApp group chat between Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and senior No10 adviser Dominic Cummings.
Simon Case: After this morning's FT driven performance by BJ, I am at the end of my tether. He changes strategic direction every day (Monday we were all about fear of virus returning as per Europe, March etc - today we were in "let it rip" mode cos the UK is pathetic, needs a cold shower etc).
Simon Case: He cannot lead and we cannot support him in leading with this approach. The team captain cannot change the call on the big plays every day. The team can't deliver anything under these circumstances.
Simon Case: A weak team (as we have got - Hancock, Williamson, Dido, No10/CO, Perm Secs) definitely cannot succeed in these circs. IT HAS TO STOP! Decide and set direction - deliver - explain. Govt isn't actually that hard, but this guy is making it impossible.
Dominic Cummings: totally agree. Am already getting lots of despairing messages from people in mtngs with him. And he's careering around on whatsapp as usual creating chaos and undermining everybody
Boris Johnson 'changes strategic direction every day', Simon Case said (COVID INQUIRY/UNPIXS)'Ridiculous flip-flopping is getting worse'
Notebook entries written by chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.
An extract dated July, 13 2020: The ridiculous flip-flopping is getting worse - maybe as he recovers?
An extract dated May 25, 2020: Opening outdoor hospitality. PM 'It will be like Damascus' and souks then everyone pointed out 'not quite like Damascus'. Raised concerns with Simon Case re the tone of what is being proposed & with Chris [Whitty] and me being part of somehow a political message. Simon says - hospitality will come out of the package - Let's see. It really does have to. Let's see. CW and I very reluctant to do the press conference. It is highly political and will be focussed on DC [Dominic Cummings]. PM seems very bullish and wants to have everything released sooner and more extremely than we would. Wants to divert from the DC fiasco (caught have gone to Durham - clearly against the rules). All very worrying. Cabinet all upbeat and 'breezy confidence' - incredibly alarming. 'Al fresco shopping all like a wonderful middle east souk'... it was another rambling opening to Cabinet. Quite extraordinary. Did say 'not there yet on outside hospitality'.
The Chief Scientific Adviser said Boris Johnson 'seems very bullish' (PA)An extract dated May 25, 2020: Chris and I not at all keen to do the press conference. All highly political and dwarfed by DC. We tried to get out of it by suggesting that it was not the right day to announce new measures and that this would undermine our credibility. No luck - Simon Case has a go but to no avail... We both went in but then spoke to Stuart G who spoke to PM. We interrupted listening to DC's rambling and car crash conference to speak to PM. He got immediately that this was too political for us and that it put us in an awkward position. The apparatchiks tried to strong arm us (Lee, James and even Martin his PPS). DC came back from his press conference and said "you two shouldn't be involved" - we got out! Yvonne Doyle did it - just did study and then all over to PM.
An extract dated September 14, 2020: Simon Case from a couple of days ago - 'PM not exactly a consistent interlocutor'.
An extract dated September 19, 2020: PM [...] He is all over the place and completely inconsistent. You can see why it was so difficult to get agreement to lockdown 1st time.