Covid inquiry latest: UK’s pandemic response ‘too little, too late’, says inquiry chair

The UK’s response to the coronavirus pandemic was “too little, too late”, the chairwoman of the UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry has said.

In a statement read following the release of the inquiry’s latest damning report, Baroness Heather Hallett said: “I can summarise my findings of the response as too little too late.

“All four governments failed to appreciate the scale of the threat or the urgency of response it demanded in the early part of 2020, relying in part on misleading assurances that the UK was properly prepared for a pandemic.”

The bombshell report found Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings reinforced a “toxic and chaotic culture” at the heart of Number 10.

Other conclusions included that a total lockdown could have been avoided in 2020 if restrictions had been introduced sooner, and that more than 20,000 lives could have been spared across that spring and summer had the orders come just seven days earlier.

The findings were published in hundreds of pages across two volumes on Thursday afternoon, covering government decision-making from when the virus first emerged in early 2020 through to early 2022, and painting a picture of chaotic decision-making at the heart of government.

Key Points

• Covid inquiry chair summarises findings as 'too little too late'
• Johnson and Cummings presided over 'toxic and chaotic culture' at No 10, Covid Inquiry finds
• Sir Keir Starmer says public services still 'not fully recovered' from pandemic
• Boris Johnson 'put his political reputation ahead of public safety', Covid bereaved say
• Sturgeon 'stands by highly precautionary approach'
• What evidence on Boris Johnson and his team did the inquiry hear

Sturgeon’s ‘gold command’ meetings ‘reduced transparency’, Covid inquiry finds

19:42 , Tara Cobham

So-called “gold command” meetings held by Nicola Sturgeon and a small group of ministers and advisers “reduced transparency” during the pandemic, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry has found.

Then first minister Ms Sturgeon met separately during the pandemic with a smaller group outside Cabinet meetings, with the inquiry saying decisions were made which were later ratified by the rest of the ministerial cohort.

Minutes of such meetings were not taken, and the report found that meant it was “difficult to understand the nature and extent of the discussions in these meetings”.

Read more here:

Sturgeon’s ‘gold command’ meetings ‘reduced transparency’, Covid inquiry finds

Watch: Bereaved families say loved ones 'would still be alive today' as they condemn Boris Johnson over Covid inquiry

19:15 , Tara Cobham

Sturgeon says inquiry acknowledged her government's measures avoided a lockdown

19:00 , Tara Cobham

Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said the inquiry had acknowledged that her government’s “gradual lifting of restrictions and its targeted measures in autumn 2020” had “avoided a second national lockdown at that stage”.

She added that while the inquiry had described her as being a “serious and diligent leader”, that this “suggests that decision-making in the Scottish Government might have been overly centralised”.

Ms Sturgeon said: “While all of my ministers and relevant officials played a full role in decision-making, it is certainly the case that I decided at the outset to lead from the front and make clear that the buck stopped with me. I stand by that.”

She said the daily televised briefings she gave during the pandemic were “about providing open, supportive and empathetic leadership in an extremely unpredictable and frightening situation”.

Ms Sturgeon said: “They gave me a way of sharing with the public what we knew and didn’t know, how that was changing as time passed, what we are asking people to do, and why.

“Even now, I hear on an almost daily basis from members of the public about how important these daily briefings were, practically and emotionally, in helping them through this period.”

Watch: Sir Ed Davey urges Kemi Badenoch to apologise for Conservatives after covid inquiry’s second report

18:45 , Tara Cobham

The key players who presided over the government’s ‘chaotic’ Covid pandemic response

18:30 , Tara Cobham

Boris Johnson and his chief adviser reinforced a "toxic and chaotic culture" in Downing Street that undermined efforts to deal with the pandemic, the Covid Inquiry has found.

Baroness Heather Hallett's report on the response to Covid-19 criticised Mr Johnson's excessive optimism in the face of the looming pandemic and inability to make key lockdown decisions.

Here are Lady Hallet’s findings on each of the top figures in the UK government:

The key players who presided over the government’s ‘chaotic’ Covid pandemic response

Blind people 'put at serious risk by official response to pandemic'

18:15 , Tara Cobham

Blind and partially sighted people were “put at serious risk by the official response to the pandemic”, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has said.

Sophie Dodgeon, Head of Campaigns and Public Affairs at the RNIB, said: “Today's report lays bare how the UK government too often failed to recognise and respond to the needs of disabled people, including blind and partially sighted people.

“Prior to the pandemic, Baroness Hallett notes that planning ought to have taken place, as to how disabled people would be protected from both Covid-19 and the impact of restrictions such as a lockdown. Once the pandemic took root, blind and partially sighted people were affected not only by the virus itself but by the measures introduced to respond to the pandemic, yet it took months for the need for accessible communications (braille, large print, audio etc) to be understood. One year into the pandemic we are told the UK Government’s Disability Unit remained concerned about a lack of disability data even to understand the impact on different groups.

“We strongly welcome the recognition that all laws and guidance must be in accessible formats. We urge the UK government and devolved administrations to improve their understanding of the effects of sight loss and account for this in policy making and future pandemic and disaster planning. Never again must decisions affecting all aspects of people’s daily lives be made without involving blind and partially sighted and disabled people from the very start.”

Comment: The true cost of Boris Johnson’s Covid incompetence is now clear for all to see

18:00 , Tara Cobham

Now we know. We knew all along of course, but now it’s confirmed. That Boris Johnson was unfit to lead the country. He should never have been prime minister.

Even today, there are some Tories still who crave the blond wonder’s return. He delivered an emphatic general election victory, maybe he can do the same again. Better than Kemi or Robert. He would see off Nigel Farage, you bet he would.

The man himself is also believed to harbour thoughts of some spiffing, splendiferous comeback, akin to that of his great hero, Winston Churchill. Meanwhile, he is paid a fortune to tour the world lecturing and to pour forth his views in the media. To which the rejoinder should be shouted and writ large: 23,000.

Chris Blackhurst writes:

The true cost of Boris Johnson’s Covid incompetence is now clear for all to see

Sturgeon 'stands by highly precautionary approach'

17:44 , Tara Cobham

In response to the release of the damning Covid Inquiry report, Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "At every stage, in absolute good faith and based on the best information and advice available to me, I took decisions that I judged most likely to minimise harm to people in Scotland.

"In the months before we had effective treatments or vaccines, that meant taking a highly precautionary approach, seeking to keep the virus as suppressed as possible. I stand by that."

She said: "Finally, I want to thank people across Scotland once again for the steadfast efforts and selfless sacrifices they made throughout the pandemic. I also thank the inquiry for its work."

Sturgeon thinks about pandemic 'every day' and admits restrictions should've been introduced earlier

17:34 , Tara Cobham

Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said she still thinks about the Covid pandemic “every day” – as she said she agreed “with hindsight” with the inquiry’s findings that restrictions should have been introduced earlier.

Ms Sturgeon, who was in charge of the Scottish government at the time of the pandemic, said her job was “nowhere near the hardest in the country”.

But she added: “Leading Scotland through Covid was by far the toughest experience of my time as first minister.

“Five years on, I still think every day about the impact of the decisions I took.”

Ms Sturgeon added: “Given the unprecedented and highly uncertain nature of the situation we faced, it was inevitable that mistakes would be made, and I know that I made my share.

“I will carry an acute sense of responsibility for this for the rest of my life.

“My thoughts will always be with those who lost loved ones during this awful time and with all those who, in so many different ways, suffered as a result of the Covid virus.”

She said: “The inquiry concludes that restrictions should have been introduced earlier. Albeit with hindsight, I agree with this assessment and said so in my evidence to the inquiry.”

Green Party says report highlights 'human price paid' for governments' lack of preparation

17:27 , Tara Cobham

The Green Party said the publication of the Covid inquiry’s second report was a reminder of the “human price ordinary people pay” for a lack of preparation by governments.

Ellie Chowns, Green MP for North Herefordshire, said: “Today’s Covid inquiry report is a stark reminder of the human price ordinary people pay when governments are underprepared.

“The finding that an earlier, precautionary response could have spared tens of thousands of lives shows just how badly the British people were let down.

“It’s clear that government decision-making was hugely flawed, and that Boris Johnson’s dither and delay cost lives.

“Families and communities – especially children – are still living with the consequences. It’s vital to learn from this report, and invest far more seriously in pandemic preparedness, so that Britain can be secure and resilient if – or when – we are again faced with such a challenge.”

Toxic No 10 culture, unnecessary deaths and failed children: Key takeaways from Covid Inquiry report

17:16 , Tara Cobham

Boris Johnson presided over a “toxic and chaotic culture” at No 10 while poor decision-making and delays in introducing a lockdown contributed to the deaths of 20,000 during the pandemic, a highly critical report has found.

The second report from the Covid-19 Inquiry also found that the views of women often went ignored by the former prime minister and his closest aides, while Mr Johnson was also said to have a “failure to appreciate the urgency of the situation” in the early days.

My colleague Holly Evans details the key takeaways from the damning report:

Unnecessary deaths and failed children: Key takeaways from the Covid Inquiry report

Northern Ireland’s First Minister calls report 'important milestone'

17:03 , Tara Cobham

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the publication of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s second report was an “important milestone”.

The Sinn Fein vice president was deputy first minister in the Stormont executive during the pandemic.

She said: “I welcome the publication of the Module 2 Report and thank the chair and inquiry team for their work.

“It is an important milestone in the long journey of recovery after the pain and trauma of the Covid pandemic.

“Covid was an unprecedented global emergency and this report will provide further lessons from the experience at all levels of society.

“Those lessons must inform our preparedness for, and response to, any future pandemic or society-wide emergency in the future.

“Our thoughts are very much with those who lost loved ones during the pandemic.”

Long Covid groups welcome 'recognition of devastating impact of Long Covid'

16:55 , Tara Cobham

Long Covid Groups have welcomed the publication of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s second report and its “recognition of the devastating, long-term impact of Long Covid”.

However, they called for accountability and change to now follow.

Nigel Rothband, Chair of Long Covid Support, said: “For years, people with Long Covid have been dismissed and disbelieved.

“The Inquiry has recognised what we have long known – there was greater suffering than there needed to have been, as a result of the government’s decisions and its lack of ability to foresee long-term consequences of the virus and make prompt, appropriate decisions.

“Recognition is an important first step, but accountability and change must follow.”

Davey calls on Badenoch to apologise on behalf of Tories

16:52 , Tara Cobham

Sir Ed Davey said Kemi Badenoch should apologise on behalf of the Conservatives following the publication of the Covid inquiry’s second report.

The Liberal Democrat leader said: “As this report is published, my thoughts and prayers are with all those who lost loved ones during the pandemic, and everyone who suffered. That a national lockdown could have been avoided will be shattering news to every person who was affected.

“Kemi Badenoch should apologise on behalf of her party. This report confirms the abject failure of the last Conservative government.

“The British people will rightly never forgive the Conservatives for leaving the country rudderless and vulnerable, and for partying while our communities were isolated and grieving.

“This tragedy can never be repeated.

“I am alarmed that Reform politicians seem intent on trashing medical science and spreading disinformation about vaccines. Every party leader must confirm today that they will follow this inquiry’s recommendations, and that they will guarantee funding and support for the vaccines that ended the lockdowns but are now threatened by Trump.”

Scale of loss of life during pandemic was 'avoidable', Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK member says

16:51 , Tara Cobham

The scale of the loss of life during the Covid pandemic was “unprecedented and avoidable”, a member of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK has said.

Deborah Doyle said: “To make mistakes is human – to refuse to listen to frontline workers, vulnerable people, the insights of devolved leaders, or those at the heart of government, while many of us died and grieved alone, shaped the government’s approach to the pandemic and led to a loss of life at an unprecedented and avoidable scale.”

Boris Johnson 'put his political reputation ahead of public safety', Covid bereaved say

16:48 , Tara Cobham

A member of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK has accused Boris Johnson of putting “his political reputation ahead of public safety”.

Deborah Doyle said in a statement read out in the wake of the latest damning Covid Inquiry report: “Throughout the pandemic, Boris Johnson put his political reputation ahead of public safety. He pandered to his critics when the UK needed decisive action.

“In delaying lockdowns, he made them longer, more damaging to the economy and less effective.”

Analysis: Starmer admits country needs economic growth to build resilience needed for future crises

16:38 , Tara Cobham

The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

Keir Starmer has just released a statement on the damning Covid inquiry report, admitting that local government and public services, including the NHS, “are under immense pressure and in many cases have not fully recovered from the pandemic”.

He added: “This is why this government is committed to driving growth in the economy and reform of public services, so that when we face the next crisis, we do so from a position of national resilience”.

But with a faltering economy and high waiting lists, it is clear there is still a long way to go.

Sir Keir Starmer says public services still 'not fully recovered' from pandemic

16:36 , Tara Cobham

The Independent’s political correspondent Caitlin Doherty reports:

The prime minister has pledged that the "next crisis" will be faced from "a position of national resilience" after the Covid Inquiry released its latest report into the pandemic.

Reacting to the hundreds-of-pages-long report on Thursday afternoon, Sir Keir Starmer said he would "like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the pain and suffering the pandemic caused".

He added: "The Chair has also concluded that the Government’s pandemic response was repeatedly ‘too little, too late’, and that lessons were not learnt and mistakes repeated - exacerbating the impact of the pandemic. The Chair has found that the Government fell short, with advice lacking proper economic and social modelling, the impact on vulnerable people not sufficiently considered, and the culture in the centre of government described as “toxic”.

"The Chair has noted that decisions were being taken in the context of the UK being ill-prepared to deal with a pandemic. Since then, improvements have been made to the way the Government would respond to a major crisis. That said, it is clear that local government and our public services, including the NHS, are under immense pressure and in many cases have not fully recovered from the pandemic. The cost of the pandemic still weighs heavily on the public purse. This is why this Government is committed to driving growth in the economy and reform of public services, so that when we face the next crisis, we do so from a position of national resilience."

He also said that the government would "respond in due course" to the findings.

Inquiry chair warns 'human and financial cost of pandemic will have been in vain if lessons not learned'

16:36 , Tara Cobham

Baroness Heather Hallett has warned that “unless the lessons are learned and fundamental change is implemented, the human and financial cost and sacrifice of the Covid-19 pandemic will have been in vain”.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry chairwoman has made 19 recommendations to protect the UK in the case of future pandemics.

Inquiry chair warns 'human and financial cost of pandemic will have been in vain if lessons not learned'

16:35 , Tara Cobham

Baroness Heather Hallett has warned that “unless the lessons are learned and fundamental change is implemented, the human and financial cost and sacrifice of the Covid-19 pandemic will have been in vain”.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry chairwoman has made 19 recommendations to protect the UK in the case of future pandemics.

Lady Hallett accuses all four devolved governments of not taking 'timely and decisive action'

16:31 , Tara Cobham

UK Covid-19 Inquiry chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett said: “The inquiry does not advocate for national lockdowns, far from it.

“Restricting people’s liberty in such a draconian fashion with all the devastating consequences should be avoided, if at all possible.

“But to avoid them, governments must take timely and decisive action to control a spreading virus. The four governments of the UK did not.”

She added: “Had the more stringent restrictions, short of a stay at home lockdown announced on March 16 2020, been introduced earlier when the number of Covid-19 cases was lower, the mandatory lockdown that was subsequently imposed might have been shorter.

“Conceivably, it might not have been necessary at all.

“At the very least, there would have been time to establish the effect of the restrictions on levels of incidence and whether there was a sustained reduction in social contact.

“As it was, the likelihood of a mandatory lockdown significantly increased as a result of the failure to act more speedily and effectively before March 16.”

Covid Inquiry chair condemns 'toxic and chaotic' culture at heart of UK government

16:29 , Tara Cobham

The chairwoman of the UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry has condemned the “toxic and chaotic culture at the heart of the UK government” during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, Baroness Heather Hallett concluded: “There was a toxic and chaotic culture at the heart of the UK government... this kind of culture is detrimental to good decision-making.”

Government's failure to impose lockdown earlier 'may have cost lives', Covid Inquiry says

16:24 , Tara Cobham

The government’s failure to impose lockdown earlier during the Covid pandemic “may have cost lives”, the Covid Inquiry chair has said.

Baroness Heather Hallett said that “had lockdown been imposed one week earlier than 23 March” then deaths “would’ve been reduced by 48 per cent, that is approximately 23,000 fewer deaths”.

'Failure' to appreciate risk facing UK with Covid pandemic, Lady Hallett says

16:21 , Tara Cobham

Lady Hallett said there was a “failure” to appreciate the risk facing the UK with the Covid-19 pandemic.

She said: “There was a serious failure by all four governments to appreciate the level of risk and the calamity that the UK faced and the need to inject urgency into the response.

“The obviously escalating crisis required leadership from the very top.

“All four governments knew that in the reasonable worst-case scenario, up to 80 per cent of the population would be infected with a very significant loss of life.

“At the same time, it also became clear that the test and trace system was inadequate for a pandemic as a result of flawed pandemic planning.

“Yet still they failed to take the necessary steps. This meant a national lockdown became more likely.”

Full story: Chaos in Boris Johnson’s government and failure to take Covid seriously led to 23,000 deaths, report finds

16:19 , Tara Cobham

Chaos at the heart of Boris Johnson's government and failure to take Covid seriously led to 23,000 deaths, a damning report into the decision-making during the pandemic has found.

The Covid inquiry also found that the then prime minister and his chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, presided over a “toxic and chaotic culture” at the heart of Number 10, which saw the views of women ignored.

The report found that more than 20,000 lives could have been saved in England if the lockdown had been implemented just a week earlier than it was in March 2020.

My colleague The Independent’s Political Correspondent Caitlin Doherty reports:

Covid lockdown and 20,000 deaths could have been avoided, says damning report

'February 2020 was a lost month,' Baroness Hallett concludes

16:17 , Tara Cobham

Baroness Heather Hallett has described February 2020 as “a lost month”.

The chairwoman of the UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry said: “All four governments failed to appreciate the scale of the threat or the urgency of response it demanded in the early part of 2020, relying in part on misleading assurances that the UK was properly prepared for a pandemic.”

She went on: “Once the scientific community and the scientific advisers for each nation had become aware that the virus was causing substantially more cases of moderate or severe respiratory illness in China than was being officially reported, and that it had spread from China, the warning signs were there.

“The tempo of the response should have been increased. It was not, February 2020 was a lost month.”

Covid inquiry chair summarises findings as 'too little too late'

16:15 , Tara Cobham

The Covid inquiry chair has said her findings can be summarised as “too little too late”.

In a statement, inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett also highlighted the “serious failure by all four governments to appreciate the level of risk and the calamity the UK faced and the need to inject urgency into the response.”

She said: “I can summarise my findings of the response as too litte too late.”

UK 'ill-prepared' to deal with Covid pandemic, inquiry chair says

16:13 , Tara Cobham

The UK “was ill-prepared” to deal with the Covid pandemic.

In a statement, inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett also said the country “lacked resilience” to deal with the “catastrophic” virus.

All four devolved nations accused of acting 'too little too late' as virus spread

16:12 , Tara Cobham

All four devolved nations have been accused of acting “too little too late” as the virus spread across the country.

Releasing the report on Thursday afternoon, inquiry chair Baroness Heather Hallett said that when the virus was spreading in early 2020, “all four governments failed to appreciate the scale of the threat or the urgency of the response it demanded”.

She said that leaders across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were “presented with unenviable choices as to how to respond” and “whatever decision they took there was often no right answer or good outcome”.

“They also had to make decisions in conditions of extreme pressure,” she added.

“Nonetheless, I can summarise my findings of the response as ‘too little, too late’”.

Raab 'unclear how to do job' when Johnson incapacitated with Covid, report finds

16:10 , Tara Cobham

There was “no clear plan setting out the arrangements” and Dominic Raab was “unclear how he was to do the job” when Mr Johnson was incapacitated with Covid, it has been found.

There was “no clear plan setting out the arrangements to be put in place to ensure continuity of leadership and decision-making”.

The report says it is “not clear how critical decisions would have been made” if the then-PM had fallen ill earlier in March before “key decisions” had been made, or he had not recovered.

Hancock 'gained reputation for 'overpromising and underdelivering', report concludes

16:08 , Tara Cobham

Then health-secretary Matt Hancock “gained a reputation among senior officials and advisers at 10 Downing Street for overpromising and underdelivering”, the report has concluded.

While Sir Chris Wormald - then running the Department of Health and Social Care, but now the country’s most senior civil servant - did not “rectify the overenthusiastic impression” he had given to Number 10.

Their actions between them “obscured the reality and the need for more action” through Spring 2020.

‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme 'undermined public health messaging', inquiry says

16:06 , Tara Cobham

The ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme in summer 2020, which offered discounted restaurant meals to try and inject cash into the struggling hospitality industry was “devised in the absence of scientific advice” and “undermined public health messaging”, said the Covid Inquiry.

It added that Mr Johnson and then-chancellor Rishi Sunak “failed to seek scientific advice” about the potential risks of the scheme, despite being advised by Prof Whitty about the risks of indoor settings.

Johnson 'repeatedly changed his mind' enabling virus to spread, according to findings

16:04 , Tara Cobham

Boris Johnson “repeatedly changed his mind” in September and October 2020 “on whether to introduce tougher restrictions and failed to make timely decisions”, according to the findings.

The report says that his “oscillation enabled the virus to continue spreading at pace” and led to the second four-week lockdown that November.

Lockdown could have been avoided and 23,000 lives saved with lockdown a week earlier, damning report reveals

16:04 , Tara Cobham

A total lockdown could have been avoided in 2020 if restrictions had been introduced sooner, while tens of thousands of lives could have been spared across that spring and summer had the orders come just seven days earlier.

The Covid Inquiry’s report into ‘core decision making and political governance says that more than 20,000 lives could have been saved in England if the lockdown had been implemented a week earlier than it was in March 2020.

Children were ordered home from school and families missed out on the chance to say goodbye to dying relatives under the measures introduced by the government in March 2020.

From March 16, measures such as self-isolation and social distancing came into effect, with schools and pubs closed later that week, before ministers took the unprecedented step of ordering the first full lockdown on March 23.

“Had more stringent restrictions short of a ‘stay at home’ lockdown been introduced earlier than 16 March [...] the mandatory lockdown that was impose might have been shorter or conceivably might not have been necessary at all,” the report says.

Partygate caused 'huge distress' to public, report also finds

16:02 , Tara Cobham

The report also found that Partygate and other instances of Covid rule-breaking caused “huge distress” to the public, particularly “bereaved people who had complied with the rules and guidance despite massive personal and financial costs.

The Downing Street party saga in particular led to a “self-reported” reduction in people following the rules over Christmas 2021.

Johnson and Cummings presided over 'toxic and chaotic culture' at No 10, Covid Inquiry finds

16:00 , Tara Cobham

The latest report from the Covid Inquiry has found that Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings presided over a “toxic and chaotic culture” at the heart of Number 10.

It added that this saw the views of women ignored.

Analysis: Many will never forgive Boris Johnson for what he did during Covid

16:00 , Tara Cobham

The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin writes:

The findings of today’s Covid inquiry report are extraordinary.

They include that a full lockdown could have been avoided entirely in 2020 if restrictions had been brought in earlier.

That tens of thousands of lives could have been saved for the sake of just seven days. And that, inside Boris Johnson's Downing Street, there was a “toxic and chaotic culture”.

We now know of the parties in No 10 that took place during the pandemic.

And that Mr Johnson lied and lied again about them.

The people in this country made extraordinary sacrifices during Covid.

The outcome of this latest report from the inquiry will only increase the heartache for many - by making clear that much of it could have been prevented.

Full UK Covid Inquiry report to be published in few minutes

15:45 , Tara Cobham

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry will publish its findings in a few minutes.

The full report into decisions made by former prime minister Boris Johnson and his senior advisers will be released at 4pm on Thursday

'Cover-ups and rewriting history': Cummings issues long social media post on Covid inquiry

15:39 , Tara Cobham

Dominic Cummings has claimed the Covid inquiry is “a mix of Inspector Clouseau, cover-ups, and rewriting history”.

In a long statement released on X ahead of the release of the full report, the then chief adviser of Prime Minister Boris Johnson also claimed the lawyers involved have “made understanding of what happened even worse” while paying themselves “millions”.

🚨🚨STATEMENT ON THE INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU 'INQUIRY' 🚨🚨

The Inquiry has been a mix of Inspector Clouseau, coverups, and rewriting history. The lawyers have paid themselves millions and made understanding of what happened even worse.

Some context for this afternoon’s report.

- I…

— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) November 20, 2025

A timeline of lockdown gatherings

15:17 , Tara Cobham

Boris Johnson and his senior advisers are set to discover the conclusions of an inquiry into the government’s decision-making before and during the pandemic.

Mr Johnson was also heavily criticised over the lockdown rule-breaking in Downing Street, which saw multiple gatherings take place in breach of Covid guidelines, in a scandal that was dubbed ‘partygate’.

Here is a look at the events that took place and what Mr Johnson told the Commons about them while he was prime minister:

Partygate: A timeline of lockdown gatherings

The extraordinary Covid WhatsApp messages that revealed the ‘chaos’ inside Boris Johnson’s government

15:06 , Tara Cobham

A series of scathing WhatsApp messages sent between Boris Johnson’s top team during the pandemic accused the former prime minister of making it “impossible” to tackle Covid, as he created chaos and changed direction “every day”.

The extraordinary messages sent between the likes of Dominic Cummings, Lee Cain and Simon Case revealed the strong disquiet among Mr Johnson’s advisers, with Mr Case, the cabinet secretary and top civil servant, at one point declaring: “I am at the end of my tether.”

With the Covid Inquiry soon set to reveal its findings into the government’s handling of the pandemic, it is expected that the report will touch on these WhatsApp messages as they highlight the reported chaos in Downing Street at the time.

Read more here:

The extraordinary Covid WhatsApps that reveal ‘chaos’ of Boris Johnson’s government

I regret the suffering Covid inflicted, says Swinney ahead of inquiry report

14:45 , Tara Cobham

Scotland’s First Minister has spoken about his “regret” for the “suffering” experienced by many during the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking ahead of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry publishing its report into how governments across the country responded to the virus, John Swinney said it had caused “enormous damage”.

Mr Swinney was deputy first minister in Scotland at the time of the pandemic, and when pressed to apologise for his actions on Thursday, including the deletion of messages related to decision-making, he said: “I have been very clear that I regret the suffering individuals experienced during the period of Covid.

“It did enormous damage to people. People lost loved ones, it did enormous damage to our society and we are still dealing with the consequences of Covid.”

Comment: How Boris Johnson failed a generation of children

14:30 , Tara Cobham

When the pandemic closed schools, playgrounds, family support services and youth centres across the UK, the government insisted that these sacrifices were necessary to save lives. But protecting lives did not require sacrificing childhoods.

The pandemic may have been unprecedented, but the scale of the damage done to children was not inevitable. It was the consequence of political choices made by a system that consistently treated children as an afterthought.

My charity supported families throughout the pandemic and has been a core participant at the official UK Covid-19 Inquiry. The evidence that we and other children’s rights charities have presented shows clearly that children from low-income families endured the greatest losses, in education, wellbeing, and opportunity. The youngest in our communities were left to bear the long-term costs.

Dan Paskins writes:

How Boris Johnson failed a generation of children

What evidence on Boris Johnson and his team did the inquiry hear

14:14 , Tara Cobham

In October 2023, the inquiry heard from the diary entries of Lord Patrick Vallance, who was chief scientific adviser during the pandemic, where he criticised Boris Johnson’s “impossible flip-flopping” and “bipolar decision-making”.

In one note on social distancing, Lord Vallance wrote: “Number 10 chaos as usual.

“On Friday, the two-metre rule meeting made it abundantly clear that no-one in Number 10 or the Cabinet Office had really read or taken time to understand the science advice on two metres. Quite extraordinary.”

In other entries, he described how he felt scientists were “used as human shields” by ministers.

And on September 19 2020, around the time a possible “circuit-breaker” lockdown was being discussed, he wrote: “(Johnson) is all over the place and so completely inconsistent. You can see why it was so difficult to get agreement to lock down first time.”

WhatsApp messages from 2020 also released to the Covid inquiry revealed senior civil servant Simon Case complaining about the influence of Carrie Symonds, who is now the wife of Mr Johnson.

In exchanges with Dominic Cummings, who was Downing Street adviser at the time, Mr Case joked that she was “the real person in charge”.

In other messages, Mr Case said the Government looked like a “tragic joke” and told others Mr Johnson “cannot lead and we cannot support him”.

Meanwhile, Mr Cummings told the inquiry the Government had no plan for dealing with Covid and was in “complete chaos”.

'We were between rock and hard place': Boris Johnson defending his actions

14:12 , Tara Cobham

When giving his own evidence, Boris Johnson insisted it was “very unlikely” the first Covid lockdown could have been avoided by earlier action.

He said he had “reflected” many times on whether the lockdown did more harm than good, but argued: “We were between a rock and a hard place, the devil and the deep blue sea”.

Covid bereaved families blame 'failures by those in power' for deaths of 230,000 loved ones

14:07 , Tara Cobham

In a statement, the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group said: “More than 230,000 of our loved ones were killed because of failures by those in power.

“Every single one of them deserves accountability, and so does the whole of society that suffered from the mishandling of the pandemic.

“We fought for this inquiry because decisions made by political leaders sowed chaos and led to avoidable deaths.

“For five years, we have waited for this moment. The inquiry has already exposed misconduct and unforgivable ineptitude from the Prime Minister down.

“On Thursday, it will finally deliver its verdict on the political leadership of Boris Johnson and others during the pandemic. The inquiry must not flinch.

“This cannot be a whitewash. Justice means holding those in power to account, however senior or well-connected, and that is what we expect the inquiry to do.”

Covid inquiry to publish findings into decisions made by Boris Johnson

14:06 , Tara Cobham

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry will publish its findings on Thursday into decisions made by former prime minister Boris Johnson and his senior advisers.

Key players, including Mr Johnson and former health secretary Matt Hancock, gave evidence to the inquiry into what they were thinking in 2020, including before the first lockdown was announced in March.

During a series of hearings, they were questioned over government measures introduced during the pandemic, such as Covid testing, social distancing and the Eat Out to Help Out scheme designed to support businesses.

Chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett, a former Court of Appeal judge, heard wide-ranging criticisms of Mr Johnson and his team, with WhatsApp messages and emails detailing disagreements disclosed to the inquiry.

The full report from the inquiry will be published at 4pm on Thursday.