British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak allegedly thought that it was okay to just "let people die" during the coronavirus pandemic, the UK COVID inquiry heard on Monday.
The government's former chief scientific adviser at the peak of the health crisis, Patrick Vallance, made a note in his diary on Oct. 25, 2020. It revolved around a meeting that involved then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and then Finance Minister Sunak.
COVID Inquiry Hears Patrick Vallance
The entry in Vallance's diary shown to the inquiry recorded how Johnson's most senior adviser during the pandemic, Dominic Cummings, related to Vallance what he said he had heard at the meeting.
Vallance quoted Cummings in his diary as saying: "Rishi thinks just let people die and that's okay." He added that the entire situation felt like a complete lack of leadership. A spokesman for the current prime minister said that Sunak would set out his position when he gives the inquiry evidence rather than respond to each issue separately, as per Reuters.
The COVID inquiry is examining the British government's response to the health crisis that led to the shutting of large sections of the economy and the killing of more than 220,000 people in the region. The inquiry is expected to run until the summer of 2026.
Senior government officials have repeatedly said that the government was surprised and unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. They added that a "toxic" and "macho" culture hampered authorities' response to the health crisis.
The danger for Sunak within the inquiry is that evidence undermines his attempt to cast himself as a change to the chaotic leadership of Johnson. This comes even though he was one of the most senior ministers during that leadership.
Vallance also admitted that officials did not have any basis for the rule of six that made it illegal to have gatherings of more than six people. According to the Independent, he noted that they could not tell anyone whether it was better or worse to have more or fewer in the rule.
"Just Let People Die"
He described Cabinet ministers as being "meek as mice" and accused them of an "abrogation of responsibility" for not imposing recommended measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. In one of his notes dated Oct. 11, 2020, he welcomed being dropped from a press conference in favor of Sunak.
Vallance also contradicted Sunak's evidence to the COVID inquiry, saying that the then finance minister would most certainly have known that scientists were worried about his "eat out to help out scheme."
The former chief scientific adviser said he would be very surprised if Sunak had not learned about objections to his plan to help the hospitality industry. The prime minister wrote to the inquiry and said he "did not recall any concerns about the scheme" being raised in ministerial meetings.
His remarks came even after growing concerns that the discount plan could fuel the spread of the coronavirus. The other diary note about letting people die included remarks made during the meeting, such as "they have had a good innings," said The Guardian.
