Are you surprised by the Covid Inquiry findings - vote in our poll
The Covid Inquiry has unravelled a number of alarming findings, including Boris Johnson’s suggestion that Covid is "nature’s way of dealing with old people" - and we want to know what you think.
During yesterday's hearing (October 31), notes were shared from Sir Patrick Vallance - the government’s former chief scientist - which were written in August 2020 and said that the former PM was "obsessed with older people accepting their fate and letting the young get on with life and the economy going. Quite bonkers set of exchanges".
In a separate note from December 14, 2020, Sir Patrick wrote: "PM told he has been acting early and the public are with him (but his party is not). He says his party 'thinks the whole thing is pathetic and COVID is just Nature's way of dealing with old people - and I am not entirely sure I disagree with them. A lot of moderate people think it is a bit too much'. Wants to rely on polling."
The following day, the chief scientific adviser penned: "Chief whip says ‘I think we should let the old people get it and protect others’. PM says ‘a lot of my backbenchers think that & I must say I agree with them’ … he says ‘let’s put Berkshire into Tier 3 & then I can just travel there’. Before Cabinet I said to Gove ‘you did well not to say I told you so re putting London into Tier 3.’ He grins."
The inquiry also shared a WhatsApp chat between Mr Johnson and Dominic Cummings from May 7, 2020, which saw the former chief advisor brand Matt Hancock "unfit for this job" and "incompetent" who shares "constant lies". He said: "Still no f**king serious testing in care homes his uselessness is still killing god knows how many."
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The messages revealed the chaos in No10 in the lead up to the first lockdown, with Mr Cummings' fears the NHS would implode "like a zombie apocalypse film" if action was not taken. The former adviser said Mr Johnson did not think Covid was a "big deal" and thought it'd "be like swine flu".
The hearing also heard evidence from Mr Johnson’s former Director of Communications Lee Cain, who said he was "exhausted" with the ex-PM's leadership in one WhatsApp from March 19, 2020. He also accused other senior Cabinet ministers, including Matt Hancock and Liz Truss, of being "problem leakers" with the media.
Cummings was grilled for more than five hours on Tuesday, during which the hearing heard evidence of him describing the Cabinet Office of being "terrifyingly s**t” and that there are “useless f***pigs in charge". While the inquiry announced that public hearings are set to be completed by the summer of 2026, we want to know if you have been shocked by the findings? Vote in our poll to have your say.
The Mirror will also be discussing the topic with you in the comments section below and you can join in! All you have to do is sign up, submit your comment, register your details and then you can take part.
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