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Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is appearing before the Covid inquiry in person for the first time.
His evidence is part of the second round of public hearings, which is focusing on the response of the government and how ministers made decisions.
What is a public inquiry?
Public inquiries respond to “public concern” about events. They are established and funded by the government, but led by an independent chair.
An inquiry can demand evidence and compel witnesses to attend.
No-one is found guilty or innocent, but lessons learned are published. The government is not obliged to accept any recommendations made.
The Covid inquiry, originally announced by Mr Johnson, covers decision-making during the pandemic by the UK government and in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
At the time, he said the government’s response would be “under the microscope”.
Who is leading the Covid inquiry?
The Covid inquiry is chaired by former judge and crossbench peer Baroness Hallett, who previously led the inquests into the 7 July London bombings.
How does the inquiry work?
Work in four areas has already begun:
- resilience and preparedness
- core UK decision-making and political governance
- the impact of Covid on healthcare systems
- vaccines, therapeutics and antiviral treatment
Future strands will consider:
- the care sector
- government procurement and PPE
- test-and-trace
- the government’s businesses and financial responses
- health inequalities
- education, children and young people
- other public services
There is no specific timescale for how long the inquiry will last.
Scotland is holding a separate inquiry.
What is the second round of public hearings covering?
They are examining decision-making in Westminster between early January 2020 and February 2022, when the final Covid restrictions in England ended.
These issues are also being considered separately from the perspectives of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with more public hearings held in each nation in January, February and April 2024 respectively.
When is Boris Johnson appearing, and who else has given evidence during the second round?
It has already heard from government officials and advisers, academic experts and representatives of bereaved families.
Much of the evidence has been extremely critical of the the information given to the public and the way Mr Johnson and other senior ministers made decisions.
The former PM began by apologising for the “pain and the loss and the suffering” in the UK during the pandemic.
He admitted mistakes were made, and that “there were unquestionably things we should have done differently”. He said he takes “personal responsibility for all decisions made”.
In an earlier session, former Health Secretary Matt Hancock denied he had lied to colleagues during the pandemic.
But he admitted the UK should have locked down much sooner and criticised the “toxic culture” in government, which he said had been driven by Mr Johnson’s former adviser Dominic Cummings.
In his evidence, cabinet minister Michael Gove also apologised to “victims and families who endured so much loss” due to mistakes made during the pandemic, but denied Mr Johnson had been “incapable of making decisions”.
England’s chief medical officer Prof Sir Chris Whitty, his former deputy Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam and former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance revealed significant tensions between their advice to government and its political priorities.
Prof Whitty and Sir Patrick said they had not been consulted about the government’s “Eat out to help out” scheme, despite Mr Johnson’s earlier claim in written evidence that it had been “properly discussed”.
Prof Van-Tam revealed he and his family had received death threats, while Sir Patrick Vallance said he had also faced abuse, and had considered resigning from his position.
Former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara told the inquiry that she would struggle “to pick one day” when Covid rules were properly followed inside a “macho” and “toxic” No 10.
She criticised Mr Johnson’s “breezy confidence” about the unfolding pandemic in March 2020, recounting the “horrible” moment she realised the UK was heading for “total disaster”.
In his evidence, Mr Johnson’s former adviser Dominic Cummings described a “dysfunctional” government which had no plans to lock down the country or shield the vulnerable, even as the virus spread across the UK in early 2020.
The inquiry heard scathing text messages from Mr Cummings, many of which contained offensive descriptions of ministers and officials.
He said he regretted the disastrous handling of his infamous trip to Barnard Castle during the first lockdown, but denied that his actions had damaged public trust.
Former aide Lee Cain told the hearing that the pandemic was the “wrong crisis” for Mr Johnson’s “skill set”, accusing him of delaying making decisions and “constantly” changing his mind.
Who gave evidence during the first public hearings?
The first public hearings, linked to the UK’s resilience and preparedness, took evidence from 69 independent experts and former and current government officials and ministers.
These included former health secretaries Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock, former prime minister David Cameron and former first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon.
Prof Whitty, his predecessor Prof Dame Sally Davies, and Sir Patrick Vallance also gave evidence during the first hearings.
When will the inquiry publish conclusions?
The next public hearings for the third area of examination – the impact of the pandemic on healthcare systems across the UK – are expected to run for 10 weeks from autumn 2024.
How can the public get involved?
Members of the public can share their experiences through the inquiry’s Every Story Matters project.
The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign group – which has criticised the government’s handling of the pandemic – urged the inquiry to ensure these voices are heard.
Public hearings are streamed on the inquiry’s YouTube channel, and witness transcripts are published on its website. The BBC is also streaming the hearings.
Members of the public can also apply to attend in person.