Boris Johnson, the then Prime Minister, allegedly took a four-day holiday to ride his motorbike and entertain guests just as the Covid-19 pandemic began to grip the UK, according to leaked government documents.
The 'Lost Month' of February 2020
The damning evidence centres on the February 2020 half-term break, a period the official Covid inquiry has since labelled a 'lost month'. The inquiry concluded that introducing a lockdown just one week earlier could have saved more than 20,000 lives.
Despite Mr Johnson telling the inquiry he was 'working throughout the period', official records suggest a different story. He reportedly travelled to the Chevening estate in Kent, where the government's response to the virus seemingly halted.
Dog Walks and Motorbike Rides
Files obtained by The Guardian indicate that between 15-17 and 21 February 2020, the Prime Minister did not engage in any official government business concerning the looming pandemic.
Instead, the documents suggest his time was spent on personal pursuits. These included walking his dog Dilyn, hosting lunches and dinners for friends, and riding a motorbike that was a gift from his wife, Carrie.
While Mr Johnson claimed to have spoken with other world leaders about the virus during this timeframe, the records from 12-24 February reportedly show no work was done on Covid-19 preparations.
Inquiry's Damning Verdict
The final report from the Covid inquiry, chaired by Baroness Hallett, delivered a scathing assessment of the government's actions. It stated that Mr Johnson's administration did 'too little, too late' to counter the threat.
The report described a 'toxic and chaotic' culture within Downing Street and asserted that the Prime Minister failed to appreciate the emergency soon enough, lacking the necessary leadership to instil urgency.
Baroness Hallett's concluding statement carried a powerful warning: 'Unless the lessons are learned and the fundamental change is implemented, the human and financial cost and sacrifice of the Covid-19 pandemic will have been in vain.'
