Boris Johnson is facing allegations of attempting to alter the past in preparation for his upcoming appearance at the Covid inquiry on Wednesday. Unions and family members of the deceased have claimed that Johnson’s team has been sharing positive stories with the media.
The TUC and Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, who are key players in this phase of the investigation, expressed that the briefings were focused on preserving his reputation and included typical deceit and bravado.
Johnson’s group has reportedly assisted in supplying newspapers with a series of favorable articles prior to his appearance.
Although briefings are allowed, they are not permitted if they include any materials given to the inquiry, such as witness statements. Heather Hallett, the head of the inquiry, specifically cautioned against sharing information from witness statements in October.
Johnson’s allies maintain that he did not do this and that the supposed direct quotes from his witness statement, as seen in one report, must have been leaked from a different source.
Should Lady Hallett hold a differing view, Johnson’s already uneasy 48 hours of being interrogated by Hugo Keith KC, the inquiry counsel, may commence with a direct admonishment.
Following the disclosure of “vulgar and sexist” WhatsApp conversations involving Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s ex-chief advisor, George Osborne, the former chancellor, brought attention to these messages on his podcast. Hallett emphasized the importance of those who have access to this evidence to honor the terms on which it was shared with them.
There are reports that Johnson’s WhatsApp messages from the beginning of the pandemic and lockdown, which cover a period of six months, cannot be accessed due to technical difficulties.
Nathan Oswin, the head of the TUC inquiry, stated that the purpose of this investigation is to understand and learn from past mistakes in order to prevent loss of life in the future. He also cautioned against using the inquiry as a political tool to fix reputations and distort the truth. Oswin urged Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to adhere to ethical standards and prioritize the well-being of the public over their own political agendas.
Matt Fowler, a representative for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, stated that Boris Johnson’s team has been divulging his testimony extensively prior to his upcoming appearance. As expected, the allegations he is making are the typical false statements and bravado.
The investigation has completely disproven the statement that “he made the right decisions in critical situations.” In truth, when news of the pandemic initially emerged, Johnson viewed it as a joke. As cases increased, he postponed implementing a lockdown, resulting in thousands of avoidable deaths, including my father’s. Even more troubling, during the second wave, he made the same errors, resulting in even more fatalities than the first wave.
A reliable source close to Johnson has stated that his former team did not release any evidence beforehand. They have expressed that they are equally upset about the situation.
Bereaved relatives and others are expected to protest outside the inquiry venue in Paddington, west London, as Johnson arrives. He is the only witness this week for the current module, which examines decision-making and government structures during Covid.
Johnson is anticipated to acknowledge the occurrence of mistakes, but attempt to justify that there were also accomplishments, such as the prompt distribution of the initial vaccine and the swift reopening of the economy as the pandemic subsided.
He has spent numerous hours being briefed by his personal legal team. However, like all witnesses, he will be questioned by Keith and barristers representing core participants without any assistance or written materials.
In addition to a timeline of the choices that were made, he will likely also be questioned about the organization and individuals involved in the Downing Street operation, which has been described by previous witnesses as having a “toxic” and “dysfunctional” atmosphere.
Source: theguardian.com
