Boris Johnson's leadership style was heavily criticised by his inner circle during the coronavirus pandemic, it has been revealed at the official inquiry.
Boris Johnson's failure to lead made governing during the pandemic 'impossible', according to newly released WhatsApp messages sent by the cabinet secretary. Romilly Weeks reports on the latest details to emerge from the Covid inquiry.Boris Johnson is said to have asked Rishi Sunak during the pandemic why the economy was being destroyed “for people who will die anyway soon” in the days before the country went into lockdown, the Covid inquiry has heard.
Mr Shafi said: “I think that was a term that was also widely used in DHSC and the NHS of people who didn’t need to be in hospital.” Martin Reynolds, Boris Johnson's former principle private secretary, has admitted his ex-boss blew 'hot and cold' during the pandemic.Asked about this perception of Mr Johnson, Mr Reynolds told the inquiry: “I think it’s fair to say the prime minister did, as it were, blow hot and cold on some issues.”
In autumn 2020, Cabinet Secretary Mr Case wrote on a WhatsApp group with Mr Cain and Mr Cummings that he was "at the end of my tether" with Mr Johnson, pointing out that he "changes direction" every day. Mr Reynolds said he was unable to recall why he'd decided to use a feature which deletes messages after seven days, just weeks before the official inquiry was announced.
“It could, for example, have been because I was worried of someone screenshotting or using some of the exchanges and leaking them.” A message from Mr Case read: “PM is mad if he doesn’t think his WhatsApps will become public via Covid inquiry – but he was clearly not in the mood for that discussion tonight! We’ll have that battle in the new year.”What did Boris Johnson really know about Downing Street’s notorious parties? With fresh revelations from our sources, in their own words, listen to the definitive behind-closed-doors story of one of the biggest scandals of our era.
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Boris Johnson Said 'People Will Die Anyway Soon', Covid Inquiry HearsGraeme Demianyk is a news editor at HuffPost UK, and is based in New York. As well as being night new editor, he has written extensively on the Grenfell tower disaster and the UK's housing crisis.
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UK's top civil servant criticizes Boris Johnson's leadership during Covid pandemicSimon Case, the UK’s top civil servant, expressed his lack of support for Boris Johnson's leadership approach during the Covid pandemic. WhatsApp messages revealed Case's assessment of Johnson's constant changes in strategic direction and his belief that the government was run by a weak team. The messages were published as Martin Reynolds, the official who ran the PM's private office, gave evidence to the inquiry.
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