Boris Johnson took four days off from official government business during a critical period in February 2020 when the NHS was bracing to be “overwhelmed” by Covid-19, official logs reveal.
The then prime minister spent time walking his dog, riding a motorbike and hosting guests at Chevening, the government estate in Kent, while pandemic planning stalled. The Covid inquiry described February 2020 as a “lost month” in the UK’s response.
According to activity logs, Johnson conducted no official business on 15, 16, 17 and 21 February. He instead enjoyed the half-term break, hosting dinners and overnight stays. On 21 February, as Johnson biked and walked, the government was briefed on a new Italian cluster, and NHS England warned it could become “overwhelmed” without significant interventions.
The inquiry found no cabinet meetings between 14 and 25 February, and Johnson received no significant briefings or daily updates on the virus. It said he “should have appreciated sooner that this was an emergency requiring prime ministerial leadership.”
Johnson told the inquiry he was working throughout the period and that the tempo increased. But the logs appear to undermine his testimony, showing only two full days of work on 19 and 20 February, including a call with US President Donald Trump and a short call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
