Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to give evidence at Covid inquiry on Monday after serving as Chancellor during pandemic
RISHI Sunak will give evidence at the Covid inquiry on Monday after serving as Chancellor during the pandemic.
The Prime Minister is likely to be questioned about the impact of his policies such as the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
Government advisers referred to Mr Sunak as “Dr Death” during the pandemic, WhatsApp messages shown to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry have revealed, because of concerns about the impact of his push to keep economic activity going.
The correspondence between epidemiologist Professor John Edmunds and Professor Dame Angela McLean – now chief scientific adviser to the Government – took place during a meeting in September 2020.
Dame Angela messaged Prof Edmunds, referring to “Dr Death the Chancellor”, the inquiry was told.
Prof Edmunds told the inquiry the reference “could well be” about the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which was devised by then-chancellor Mr Sunak and deployed a month earlier in a bid to kickstart the restaurant industry following lockdown.
It comes as Boris Johnson apologised for the “pain and loss of life” experienced during the pandemic and admitted he should’ve acted sooner.
In his opening remarks at a showdown hearing of the Covid Inquiry, the ex-PM said: “Can I just say how glad I am to be at this Inquiry and how sorry I am for the pain and the loss and the suffering of the Covid victims.”
He admitted he “underestimated” the threat of the virus and “should have twigged” once it gripped it Italy.
As he apologised, Boris was heckled by members of the public sitting in the Inquiry viewing gallery.
A sign was unfurled reading: “The Dead can’t hear your apologies.”
Protesters were ordered to leave the room by Chair Lady Hallet.