Toxic No 10 culture, unnecessary deaths and failed children: Key takeaways from the Covid inquiry report
Poor decision-making and delays in enforcing lockdowns contributed to the deaths of more than 20,000 people during the pandemic as Boris Johnson presided over a “toxic and chaotic culture” in No 10, according to a highly critical report.
The second report of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry also stated that women’s views were often ignored by the then prime minister and his closest aides, and that Mr Johnson “failed to appreciate the urgency of the situation” in the early days of the epidemic.
During a series of hearings, inquiry chair Heather Hallett, a former Court of Appeal judge, heard wide-ranging criticism of Mr Johnson and his team, WhatsApp messages and emails detailing disagreements disclosed in the inquiry.
More than 160 witnesses were interviewed, including Mr Johnson, his then-deputy Dominic Cummings and then-health secretary Matt Hancock. They were questioned about measures such as public testing, social distancing and the Eating Out Relief scheme, which it is hoped could provide cash to businesses forced to close during the spring lockdown.
Summing up her findings, Baroness Hallett found that No 10 had been forced to make decisions under pressure but that the response was “too little, too late” and that 23,000 lives could have been saved if measures had been introduced a week earlier.
Here are the key takeaways from that damning report.
‘Toxic culture’ is at number 10
The report found that Mr Johnson failed to appreciate the “urgency of the situation” after the virus began spreading in early 2020 and displayed “optimism that it would amount to nothing”.
It was also found that he “repeatedly changed his mind” on whether to impose tougher restrictions in September and October 2020 and was “unable to make timely decisions”. The report says his “release enabled the virus to continue to spread rapidly” and led to the second four-week lockdown in November.
His senior adviser, Mr Cummings, described his behavior as a “destabilizing influence” that “contributed significantly to the culture of fear, mutual distrust and suspicion that poisoned the atmosphere at 10 Downing Street and undermined the prime minister’s authority”.
The report states: “By failing to tackle this chaotic culture, and at times actively encouraging it, Mr Johnson has reinforced a culture in which the loudest voices dominate and the views of other colleagues, particularly women, are often ignored to the detriment of good decision-making.”
Mr Hancock also “developed a reputation among senior officials and advisers at 10 Downing Street for over-promising and under-delivering”, according to the report.
Lockdowns and deaths ‘could have been prevented’
The investigation into the government’s key decision-making and political governance found that more than 20,000 lives could have been saved in England had the lockdown been implemented just a week earlier in March 2020.
“If stricter restrictions other than the ‘stay at home’ lockdown had been introduced before March 16 […] “The mandatory isolation imposed could have been shorter or possibly not necessary at all,” the report states.
However, if the mandatory lockdown had been in place from 16 March, “modelling suggested that the number of deaths in England in the first wave by 1 July 2020 would have fallen by 48 per cent, equivalent to around 23,000 fewer deaths”.
Partygate ‘undermined trust’
Alcohol-fueled parties in Downing Street involving Mr Johnson, Rishi Sunak and senior staff “undermined public confidence in the decision-making process” and significantly increased the risk of the public abandoning lockdown rules, the report said.
It was also considered a blow to people “incurring huge personal costs” to comply with the rules – including those “who were unable to be with their loved ones when they died”.
The Downing Street party saga in particular has led to a “self-reported” drop in the number of rule-abiding people over Christmas 2021.
The final weeks of 2021 have been dominated by reports of officials at government buildings allegedly flouting the rules while lockdown rules are in place. This included a gathering of around 30 people in the Cabinet Room on June 19, 2020, to present Mr Johnson with a birthday cake, at a time when most indoor gatherings were banned.
Both the prime minister and Mr Sunak were fined following a Met Police investigation.
Eat Out to Help Out goes against advice
The report found that the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme in summer 2020 was “designed in the absence of scientific advice” and “undermined public health messages”.
Although his aim was to inject cash into the hospitality sector by offering discounted restaurant meals, Mr Johnson and his chancellor Mr Sunak “failed to seek scientific advice”.
This was done despite the government’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty (now Sir), being warned about the potential risks of the plan.
Children ‘failed’ due to school closures
The report found that the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 undoubtedly saved lives, but they also “left lasting scars on society and the economy, brought ordinary childhood to a halt, delayed diagnosis and treatment of other health problems, and worsened social inequalities.”
The vast majority of children were not at risk of serious direct harm from Covid-19 but were “hugely harmed by school closures and stay-at-home mandates”.
Children “were not always given priority” and the government was not prepared for the “sudden and monumental task” of educating children in their homes.
