Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has started giving evidence in the Covid inquiry and expressed his deep sorrow for everyone who lost loved ones or suffered during the pandemic. Sunak emphasized the importance of learning from the past to better prepare for the future. In his testimony, he shared that he did not think the cabinet was sidelined during Covid decision-making, and he was always able to provide advice to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Sunak also discussed the decision-making process and the balance of competing interests during the pandemic. He stated that his main responsibility was to provide economic arguments and advice to the Prime Minister. Additionally, Sunak confirmed that many of his Covid messages are not available to the inquiry, as he is not a prolific user of text messages or WhatsApp.
Furthermore, Boris Johnson’s witness statement to the inquiry was also released, where he discussed his discussions with Sunak about the “eat out to help out” scheme, highlighting the policy rationale for its implementation. The inquiry has faced criticism, particularly from media outlets critical of lockdown measures. Cabinet Office minister Esther McVey expressed her hope that the inquiry would consider the argument that lockdown was unnecessary. The government has mostly refrained from commenting on the inquiry’s progress. The inquiry is expected to continue uncovering valuable insights and lessons from the pandemic for future preparedness.
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