Matt Hancock roasted for ‘promising a Covid plan that never existed’ – while Boris was ‘laughing at the Italians’
HAPLESS Matt Hancock promised ministers he had a Covid masterplan plan that never existed, the inquiry heard today.
Former Whitehall boss Helen MacNamara said the then Health Secretary told Cabinet “time and time again” there was a pandemic blueprint.
But she added: “I could not understand a scenario where these plans exist but we never got them.”
The ex-deputy Cabinet Secretary also said Mr Hancock’s claims “about how well prepared we were turned out to be wrong only weeks later”.
Mr Hancock memorably quit after The Sun revealed his lockdown-breaking affair with a top aide.
In her evidence today Ms MacNamara – who was fined for a leaving party during lockdown – also hit out at Boris Johnson’s “macho” response to the spiralling spread of Covid.
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She said the then PM was “laughing at the Italians” for locking down during meetings which had a “jovial tone” and “breezy confidence” about the virus.
Ms MacNamara said she felt “patronised” for raising concerns about the threat from Covid.
In her witness statement she said women in No10 during Mr Johnson’s administration faced “sexism”.
The inquiry was shown an email she sent in April 2020 raising the “macho environment” as a “substantial problem”.
She said: “It is really striking how little time women are speaking in any of the big meetings.”
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Yesterday Dominic Cummings was revealed to have launched a c-word rant against Ms MacNamara in an email to Mr Johnson.
He said: “I don’t care how it is done but that woman must be out of our hair.”
The No10 chief said they could not tackle Covid while “dodging stilettos from that c***”.
Cummings later apologised for his “appalling language” in after being left red faced chief inquiry lawyer Hugh Keith KC.
In separate texts Mr Johnson accused him of presiding over an “orgy of narcissism” after briefing against his wife Carrie to the media.