The official Covid-19 Inquiry has delivered a devastating verdict on Boris Johnson's premiership, concluding that the former Prime Minister cultivated a toxic and chaotic culture at the heart of government that severely hampered the UK's pandemic response.
A Culture of Chaos in Downing Street
In a scathing report, the inquiry chair, Baroness Hallett, found that Mr Johnson's leadership style meant the loudest voices prevailed in critical meetings, while more measured counsel, often from female colleagues, was ignored. This environment, described as chaotic, led to delayed decisions and flawed policies that resulted in thousands of unnecessary deaths and lockdowns that might have been avoided.
Baroness Hallett stated: “By failing to tackle this chaotic culture – and, at times, actively encouraging it – Mr Johnson reinforced a culture in which the loudest voices prevailed and the views of other colleagues, particularly women, often went ignored, to the detriment of good decision-making.”
The inquiry heard that this culture allowed disruptive individuals, such as the Prime Minister's chief adviser Dominic Cummings, to derail the decision-making process at a time of national crisis.
The 'Eat Out to Help Out' Controversy
One of the most prominent examples of this dysfunctional process was the £840 million Eat Out to Help Out scheme. The inquiry revealed that the policy, launched in August 2020 to provide discounts at pubs and restaurants, was devised without any consultation with the government's scientific advisors, SAGE.
Lord Patrick Vallance, the then Chief Scientific Adviser, told the inquiry that the scheme undermined public health messaging. He explained that it directly contradicted official advice about the dangers of social mixing, calling it a policy that “completely reversed” the previous cautious approach.
Professor Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer, famously dubbed the initiative an “eat out to help out the virus” scheme. While it provided a temporary boost to the hospitality sector, data shows a 250 percent rise in Covid cases during its operation, with infections jumping from around 6,400 in the first week of August to 23,000 in the second.
Consequences and Lasting Impact
The inquiry's findings paint a picture of a government in disarray, where a toxic internal culture had direct and tragic consequences for the public. The report concludes that the failure to establish clear, swift, and scientifically-informed guidance ultimately cost lives.
Boris Johnson initially claimed to the inquiry that the Eat Out to Help Out scheme had been properly discussed with scientific leaders. However, he later conceded that no scientific advisers were present at the key meetings with then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak where the policy was formulated.
The damning report solidifies criticisms from bereaved families who have long argued that governmental failures and rule-breaking during the Partygate scandal caused immense public distress and contributed to the UK's heavy death toll.
