Covid Inquiry: Johnson dubs Partygate portrayals ‘a travesty of the truth’
08 Dec 2023 Coronavirus
Covid Inquiry: Johnson dubs Partygate portrayals ‘a travesty of the truth’
WhatsApps reveal PM apologised to cabinet secretary for “insane business” and pledged they would “get through it and come out on top”
Johnson ‘perplexed’ top scientists weren’t consulted over Eat Out to Help Out
07 Dec 2023 Coronavirus
Johnson ‘perplexed’ top scientists weren’t consulted over Eat Out to Help Out
Former PM tells Covid Inquiry his repeated “let it rip” comments were just a challenge to consensus among experts
Covid Inquiry: Boris Johnson rejects claims No.10 was 'toxic'
06 Dec 2023 Coronavirus
Covid Inquiry: Boris Johnson rejects claims No.10 was 'toxic'
Ex-PM says he had "no difficulty recruiting the best possible people" despite claims people were deterred by working environment
Covid Inquiry: Social care structures made care home response difficult, Hancock says
01 Dec 2023 Coronavirus
Covid Inquiry: Social care structures made care home response difficult, Hancock says
Former health secretary admits it was misleading to say the government had thrown a protective ring around care homes from start of pandemic
Cummings was a ‘malign actor’, Hancock tells Covid Inquiry
01 Dec 2023 Coronavirus
Cummings was a ‘malign actor’, Hancock tells Covid Inquiry
Former health secretary says No.10 needs to be capable of operating effectively even when “unprofessional” individuals have significant power
Hancock: Whitehall took too long to realise pandemic was a cross-government crisis
30 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Hancock: Whitehall took too long to realise pandemic was a cross-government crisis
Former health secretary tells Covid Inquiry he and DHSC were victims of a “toxic culture” of blame
'Too much was asked' of DHSC in early Covid response, Gove tells inquiry
28 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
'Too much was asked' of DHSC in early Covid response, Gove tells inquiry
Can-do spirit was "admirable" but more departments should have been brought into the Covid response sooner, Gove says
Cultural differences pitched civil servants against academics, Angela McLean tells Covid Inquiry
27 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Cultural differences pitched civil servants against academics, Angela McLean tells Covid Inquiry
Chief scientific adviser had to “paper over the cracks” after direct criticism from scientists ruffled officials’ feathers
Abuse could deter scientists from key roles in future crises, Van-Tam warns
23 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Abuse could deter scientists from key roles in future crises, Van-Tam warns
Former deputy chief medical officer says police asked him to move out of his home after his family were "threatened with having their throats cut"
Whitty: No.10 should have consulted scientists on Eat Out To Help Out
22 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Whitty: No.10 should have consulted scientists on Eat Out To Help Out
Chief medical officer says he "firmly" told Downing Street it should have informed him and Patrick Vallance about the Covid policy
£1bn 'at risk' in disputed pandemic PPE contracts signed by DHSC
22 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
£1bn 'at risk' in disputed pandemic PPE contracts signed by DHSC
Health department in negotiations over 36 contracts, with 3.8 billion items of PPE procured for Covid deemed not fit for purpose
Covid Inquiry: Government wasn’t ‘electrified’ by threat from virus, Whitty says
22 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Covid Inquiry: Government wasn’t ‘electrified’ by threat from virus, Whitty says
Chief medical officer says “hard geopolitical threats” are treated differently to health emergencies
Covid Inquiry: Whitty not consulted on break-up of Public Health England
21 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Covid Inquiry: Whitty not consulted on break-up of Public Health England
Chief medical officer says lack of investment to blame for test-and-trace shortcomings
Lack of 'operational readiness' delayed measures to curb Covid, Vallance says
20 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Lack of 'operational readiness' delayed measures to curb Covid, Vallance says
"Urgency of action" was not "as consistent and as reliable as it should have been across Whitehall", ex-scientific adviser says
Covid Inquiry: Home Office had ‘no capability’ to delay arrival of pandemic, Patel says
10 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Covid Inquiry: Home Office had ‘no capability’ to delay arrival of pandemic, Patel says
Former home secretary tells hearing scientists advised border checks would have “minimal impact” on virus spread in early 2020
'I am v v cautious about walking back into this': Case deterred from Covid job by 'behaviours' in No.10
09 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
'I am v v cautious about walking back into this': Case deterred from Covid job by 'behaviours' in No.10
"I will not work for Dom," Simon Case told cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill, who was frustrated with spad's “divide and rule” approach
Sedwill: Government was 'too focused on whether Covid worst case scenario would happen'
08 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Sedwill: Government was 'too focused on whether Covid worst case scenario would happen'
Ex-cab sec says government's "measured" response to the Covid outbreak was based on 1 in 10 likelihood of reasonable worst-case scenario pandemic hitting the UK
Covid Inquiry: Cabinet Office’s initial response structure ‘was source of confusion’
08 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Covid Inquiry: Cabinet Office’s initial response structure ‘was source of confusion’
Ministerial Implementation Group model was ditched because of overlaps and lack of clarity over responsibility
Johnson and Sunak ‘blindsided’ Covid Taskforce with Eat Out to Help Out scheme
08 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Johnson and Sunak ‘blindsided’ Covid Taskforce with Eat Out to Help Out scheme
Officials at the heart of government’s pandemic response were kept in the dark about bid to boost footfall at restaurants and cafés, inquiry hears
Science adviser sounded alarm over Treasury modelling, Covid Inquiry told
07 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Science adviser sounded alarm over Treasury modelling, Covid Inquiry told
Former economic adviser insists Treasury was not "tactical" about its economic analysis but "shared freely"
Covid Inquiry: Hancock was a serial ‘over-promiser’ not a liar, perm sec says
03 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Covid Inquiry: Hancock was a serial ‘over-promiser’ not a liar, perm sec says
Chris Wormald rejects criticisms DHSC was structurally “chaotic”, “dysfunctional” and “ungovernable”
Covid Inquiry: 2020 back-to-office drive ‘made absolutely no sense’
02 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Covid Inquiry: 2020 back-to-office drive ‘made absolutely no sense’
Government ditched science and followed media and Conservative MPs, former No.10 comms chief Lee Cain says
MacNamara: Whitehall processes 'bent out of shape' by Brexit work ahead of pandemic
02 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
MacNamara: Whitehall processes 'bent out of shape' by Brexit work ahead of pandemic
Former official says Brexit preparations led to the centre holding too much power, with departments "disempowered"
Helen MacNamara: 'Extraordinarily difficult' to provide Covid inquiry evidence after Cabinet Office wiped work phone
01 Nov 2023 Coronavirus
Helen MacNamara: 'Extraordinarily difficult' to provide Covid inquiry evidence after Cabinet Office wiped work phone
Former deputy cabinet secretary also said government 'hadn't done any proper planning' just days before lockdown