During a difficult inquiry, Boris Johnson was reminded of every instance in which he used the phrase ‘let Covid rip’.
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The chair of the Covid inquiry, Baroness Hallet, has rebuked Boris Johnson’s justification for Partygate, stating that the scandal only made the pain of grieving families worse during the pandemic.
The ex-prime minister previously disregarded the Partygate disclosures as being far from the truth of what truly occurred at Number 10. He criticized the exaggerated portrayals of the scandal, deeming them a distortion of reality and completely ridiculous.
He apologized for any harm caused and acknowledged his mistakes, but also stated, “I believed that our actions were in accordance with the rules.”
In a diary entry by Sir Patrick Vallance, it was revealed that Mr Johnson had previously referred to his own rules as “stupid.”
Mr Johnson has changed his stance on a statement he made, going back on his assurance. He has also refuted the claims made by Sir Patrick and Sir Chris Whitty that they were not consulted about the Eat Out to Help Out scheme before it was implemented.
Mr Johnson is facing intense questioning at the UK’s Covid inquiry for a second consecutive day. Grieving families are still demonstrating outside Dorland House in London, displaying their frustration by booing the ex-prime minister as he entered and exited the premises.
Boris Johnson claims that there was nothing he could have done to prevent Partygate.
The ex-prime minister faced numerous inquiries regarding his potential ability to prevent the Partygate events.
According to Mr. Johnson, the individuals were putting in a lot of effort. However, before he could continue, Brenda Campbell KC interrupted him and stated, “We’ve heard this before.”
She inquired of Mr. Johnson if he could have taken more action to prevent it and requested a straightforward “yes” or “no” response.
Mr. Johnson stated, “No.”
Lucy Leeson reports:
According to Boris Johnson, there was no action he could have taken to prevent Partygate.
On Thursday (7 December), Boris Johnson spoke about the Partygate controversy during his appearance at the UK’s Covid inquiry. He was questioned multiple times about his actions to prevent the Partygate events. Mr Johnson stated that his team was working diligently, but was interrupted by interrogator Brenda Campbell KC. She requested a direct response to her question, “Could you have taken more action to prevent it?”. Mr Johnson replied with a simple “No.”
Nadine Dorries states that Johnson is excelling in the inquiry.
Nadine Dorries has stated that Boris Johnson is performing exceptionally well during the UK’s Covid inquiry.
Johnson discusses the issue of unproductive conflicts between government officials and District Attorneys, describing them as “pointless political friction.”
During his testimony, the inquiry was informed that Mr Johnson had expressed his belief that it is not appropriate for the UK prime minister to regularly meet with ministers from other devolved administrations.
He clarified to the inquiry that one factor taken into account was the potential for unnecessary political conflicts and attention-seeking due to the known opposition of certain regional governments to the government, and in order to prevent leaks that may be necessary.
He suggested that the best way to decrease differences and conflicts was to have calm and productive meetings between the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the DAs.
“I harbored no negative intentions toward Nicola Sturgeon,” states Johnson.
Boris Johnson stated during the Covid inquiry that he did not harbor any negative feelings towards Nicola Sturgeon, even though his former chief aide Ed Lister claimed they had a strained relationship.
The ex-prime minister expressed regret upon hearing Eddie’s statement and maintained that he and Ms Sturgeon had a positive and amicable relationship.
However, during Lord Lister’s testimony, he mentioned a meeting between Mr Johnson and the former Scottish first minister. He stated that there was a significant amount of tension between the two leaders and that they did not have a positive personal relationship. It seemed that they generally did not get along well.
Boris Johnson stated during the Covid inquiry that he harbored no negative intentions towards Nicola Sturgeon.
Political journalist Archie Mitchell
7 December 2023 14:49View: Johnson claims he was unable to prevent Partygate.
According to Boris Johnson, there was nothing he could have done to prevent Partygate.
Unfortunate yet unavoidable, schools will have to close again in January 2021 according to Johnson.
In January 2021, Boris Johnson acknowledged that it was “awful” but “unavoidable” to close schools once again due to the emergence of the highly contagious Alpha variant of the virus.
During the inquiry, he stated that the families and children who are most vulnerable and least privileged are the ones who suffer the most from school closures. This was evident during the first lockdown without a doubt.
“We were determined to keep schools open.”
He maintained that he continuously fought in his mind and heart to keep schools from closing.
He stated, “I had a strong desire to do it, but unfortunately it was not feasible and we had to secure everything.”
He claimed to have listened with respect to his numerous colleagues, including the former education secretary Gavin Williamson, who advocated for schools to remain open.
Unfortunately, according to Mr Johnson, schools are significant sources of the virus and during the winter months, they pose a high risk of spreading it to the elderly population. This was deemed unacceptable.
A person walking by a bus shelter in central London in January 2021 sees NHS signs promoting the message ‘Stay Home, Save Lives’.
Johnson’s 2021 message stated that it would have been beneficial to remind individuals in No10 to consider their actions.
The inquiry revealed a WhatsApp exchange between then-prime minister Boris Johnson and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.
Hugo Keith, the counsel, stated that it was sent “during the period when the partying in Downing Street was revealed”.
On December 17, 2021, Mr. Johnson stated: “Looking back, we should have advised everyone, especially Lee Cain, to consider their actions in Number 10 and how it would be perceived. However, we must now move forward with determination.”
During the second day of questioning at the module two hearings of the Covid inquiry, Boris Johnson was asked about the partygate revelations.
The Liberal Democrats criticize Boris Johnson for his attempt to rewrite history regarding the Partygate scandal, calling it “desperate.”
The Liberal Democrats have criticized Boris Johnson’s desperate attempt to alter the facts surrounding Partygate.
The ex-prime minister informed the Covid investigation that the media’s depiction of parties at Downing Street has created a perception among the public that is vastly different from the actual events that took place at No. 10.
However, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper stated to The Independent: “These parties were looked into by the authorities and Boris Johnson admitted to violating lockdown regulations by paying a fine. It is confusing that he persists in attempting to mislead the nation.”
Boris Johnson’s apology cannot be considered sincere as he persists in his desperate efforts to alter the past.
Boris Johnson, the previous prime minister, providing testimony to the inquiry on Covid-19 in the United Kingdom.
The person identified as Archie Mitchell, who is a Political Correspondent, has provided the following information.
7 December 2023 14:19Johnson said that the government worked tirelessly to obtain personal protective equipment and COVID-19 tests. He made this statement during an inquiry.
During the Covid-19 pandemic inquiry, Boris Johnson stated that the government made significant efforts to obtain both personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing for the virus once they realized the gravity of the situation.
“I have clarified that we were not aware of the magnitude and speed of the virus’s spread. However, even if we had been, I doubt it would have had a significant impact in January due to the limited availability of supplies globally,” Mr Johnson stated.
“In March, there were major conflicts at airports regarding shipments of PPE that resulted in a dire situation.”
The ex-prime minister stated that in the beginning, he was informed that the test and trace system was excellent and that there were sufficient preparations. However, this was later proven false. He also mentioned that the UK’s diagnostics industry was not as advanced as other countries when the pandemic first started.
In the beginning, I was informed that we had sufficient coverage, but that ended up not being accurate. We took action.
“We established one of the largest testing sectors in Europe and I would like to express my gratitude to Dido Harding for her contributions. I would also like to thank Paul Deighton for his efforts in securing PPE.”
Johnson claims that he was unable to prevent Partygate from happening.
Boris Johnson faced significant scrutiny regarding whether there were additional actions he could have taken to avoid the Partygate controversy.
The ex-prime minister faced numerous inquiries regarding his potential for increased action, and attempted to shift the focus by stating he was unaware of the occurrences.
“People were working extremely hard,” Mr Johnson said before he was interrupted by interrogator Brenda Campbell KC, who is representing bereaved families. “We’ve heard that before,” she said.
She inquired whether you could have taken further action to prevent it, with a yes or no response.
According to my knowledge at the time, Mr Johnson stated that the answer is no.
He stated: “However, what I could have done was provide a general directive regarding the regulations and their presentation.”
He was informed that a grieving relative referred to the gatherings at Downing Street as “upsetting and revolting”. In response, he stated, “I comprehend the point you are making and I deeply regret it.”
Source: independent.co.uk
