Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:18pm on 20 Nov 2023,Monday International
The startling revelation emerged at the COVID inquiry, where Dominic Cummings is said to have claimed that then Chancellor Rishi Sunak suggested "just let people die" rather than go into another lockdown. The excerpt from British physician and former Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance's diary entry has created quite a stir. The entry detailed a heated October 2020 meeting where Boris Johnson, initially against a lockdown, faced off with Cummings, who argued for saving lives. Vallance described Johnson as "frustrated" and the situation in "complete shambles." The inquiry also exposed tensions over the "Eat Out To Help Out" scheme, with Sunak not informing advisers before declaring the scheme. Sky News reports that Vallance highlighted challenges in conveying scientific advice to Johnson, who he said was "bamboozled" and struggled with key concepts.
