Prime Minister Rishi Sunak presented witness evidence to the ongoing Covid Inquiry yesterday, defending his “Eat Out To Help Out” scheme and his decision to reopen retailers instead of schools.
Mr. Sunak acknowledged his preference for reopening shops before schools following the initial Covid lockdown in response to evidence from WhatsApp conversations read out today. However, he denied advocating for the reopening of pubs and restaurants despite concerns about potential job losses associated with their closure.
In a WhatsApp exchange between then Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case from Autumn 2020, Mr. Case suggested that Mr. Sunak leaned toward imposing restrictions on schools rather than non-essential shops.
His texts stated, “Rishi has already resigned himself to the choice ahead—I spoke to him earlier. He is relatively open on regional or national (not least because regional is so wide that the impact is pretty similar to national now).”
The message continued, “His only question (and a fair one) is about non-essential retail—where obviously we have no evidence of transmission. He thinks it’s better to do something in secondary schools (where we know transmission takes place) instead of closing all shops (where we know it doesn’t seem to).”
Today Mr. Sunak acknowledged that this content was accurate.
The prime minister began his testimony by apologising to bereaved families, saying that he was “deeply sorry to all those who lost loved ones.”
His grilling opens a crucial week for him, as he faces a significant vote on the Rwanda legislation.
NHS Figures Not Scrutinised
Notably, the prime minister did not delve into discussions about the NHS’s actual status, despite projections that suggested potentially overwhelming figures.During the initial months of the pandemic, the NHS suspended routine treatments on a large scale. However, with hindsight, this decision has faced scrutiny, especially considering that the peak number of people hospitalised with COVID-19 in England was fewer than 20,000. This figure represents approximately a third of the available beds at that particular point in time.
Mr. Sunak also staunchly defended his “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme from when he was Chancellor, claiming that it played a role in protecting jobs amid the pandemic’s economic fallout. Despite the ongoing scrutiny from the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, Mr. Sunak maintained his belief in the scheme’s effectiveness, asserting its necessity in safeguarding millions of jobs, particularly for vulnerable individuals and their families.
The scheme, introduced in the summer of 2020, sought to bolster the beleaguered hospitality sector by providing a 50 percent discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks. However, concerns raised during the inquiry revolved around the consultation process with scientists and the potential contribution of the scheme to the spread of infections.
Mr. Sunak steadfastly defended the scheme as a crucial element of the government’s broader reopening strategy after the initial lockdown. He highlighted that indoor hospitality was already operating under strict Covid-secure guidelines when the scheme was introduced.
Despite private reservations from scientists about the scheme’s impact on virus transmission and mortality rates, Mr. Sunak maintained that concerns were not directly communicated to him during the one-month gap between announcement and implementation.
MP Questions Line of Inquiry
Reclaim Party MP and former Tory Andrew Bridgen expressed his discontent with the line of questioning toward Mr. Sunak, telling The Epoch Times, “If only the Covid inquiry would ask the right questions.”Mr. Bridgen added, “Current and former, and perhaps soon-to-be-former prime ministers share a propensity for selective memory loss, perhaps it’s a requirement for the position?”
Speaking to potential safety issues over the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines that have not been discussed during the hearings, he said, “What is clear to anyone who cares to look at the evidence is that ‘safe and effective’ is not wearing or ageing well.”
Last week, Mr. Johnson vehemently denied allegations that he used the phrase “let the bodies pile high” during the COVID-19 pandemic, dismissing the claim as “absurd.”
The former prime minister addressed these accusations made by former top aide Dominic Cummings in his extensive 233-page witness statement to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry, which was published after Mr. Cummings had given verbal evidence the previous Thursday.
In front of Lady Hallett’s inquiry, Mr. Johnson refuted the accusation, stating, “I did not say this. What makes this especially absurd is that I am supposed to have said it on Oct. 31, 2020, when the decision to lock down had, in fact, already been taken.”
Mr. Cummings, a vocal critic of Mr. Johnson since leaving Number 10, alleged that Mr. Johnson expressed a preference to “let the bodies pile high” rather than impose further lockdowns—a claim supported by former senior aide Lord Udny-Lister.
Mr. Johnson also dismissed the suggestion that he considered injecting himself with COVID-19 on live TV to demonstrate its harmlessness.
He stated, “I reject and attach little credence to the source of that account.”
Having completed two days of sometimes combative and emotional testimony, Mr. Johnson faced jeers from protesters as he left the inquiry centre at Dorland House in west London. Throughout his evidence, Mr. Johnson emphasised that he was not “reconciled” to COVID-19 deaths and did not endorse the idea of “letting it rip” in the autumn of 2020.
In addressing the Partygate controversy, Mr. Johnson described some characterizations as “absolutely absurd,” labelling the entire situation a “travesty of the truth.”
