Covid Inquiry

Opal

MayBee70

Freya5

MayBee70

All of the news reports are saying how he became quite emotional and was fighting back the tears. I don’t believe that. It was a calculated, measured performance.

I would hate to be as cynical as you. What other world leader, non of whom responded really well in the pandemic, Sweden let it rip, are being hung out to dry. During pandemics, unfortunately people die, just as they do with influenza.
Deaths were a lot lower in this country than in many others.
No I'm not dismissing those who died, or their loved ones who are left, but this is about revenge, because he's Boris Johnson. nothing else. No I'm not a fan either.

I assume that you listened to the questions put to Johnson by the representatives of the bereaved people? Deaths were not a lot lower here than in comparable countries.

I watched it all afternoon - some of the questions were completely irrelevant, e.g. "how to handle the devolved authorities". One of the KCs should get an Oscar - what a performance! He was obviously grandstanding, what a great way to raise his own profile!

The question about how to handle the devolved nations do you mean Opal? If not, which authorities were you referring to?

Yes, they were referring to them as the "DAs" at the Inquiry.

As responsibility was devolved to the other nations governments for some but not all aspects of management of the pandemic (not sure what they meant by authorities in that context?) it was critical to communicate with the leaders there to tell them what the UK government was planning which affected them, to compare strategies and plans and to act together on critical issues. I don’t understand why you would suggest that was irrelevant?

Exactly that Casdon, I agree, of course communication was critical. So why was the KC trying to catch Johnson out with that question? I can't remember exactly, but someone had written a meeting note, which mentioned "how to handle the DAs". In the context of the note, it came across as a general query on how best to handle the DAs with regards to communications and information. Yet the KC was implying something more sinister in the use of the word "handle". It really wasn't a legitimate question and smacked of trying to make something out of nothing - which is exactly what most of the other questions were designed to do too. It was frustrating to watch and is not helpful to the purpose of the Inquiry.

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/boris-johnson-blamed-high-covid-28248640
This is what I saw reported from his session yesterday. I live in Wales, and despite what he said in the Inquiry there was a huge amount of frustration about a lack of communication from Johnson himself and the cabinet at some points in the pandemic. He refused to speak at all to the First Minister here for weeks on end, which did not go down well because there were specific issues to be agreed - the clinical leaders were relied on very heavily to fill in the gaps in government information.
What summed up Johnson’s attitude was I think embodied in him blaming high covid levels on ‘the singing and the obesity’. That was not funny.

Funny how Sunak and Johnson both had phones which miraculously blacked out for 4 months so no messages for the critical period available. They must think we’re mugs.

Didn't I hear Sunak saying that he lost all his Whatsap messages when he changed phones? I have changed my phone twice in the past year and I still have messages on it from three or four years ago.

I don't envy Lady Hallett her job chairing the Inquiry. It's quite clear that the aim has to be to learn lessons for the future. Whether BoJo or anyone else was innocent or not of any individual maladministration is largely irrelevant to that aim because the politicians involved next time will be other people. The protesters clearly want blame to be apportioned but I don't see that is going to happen.

It is astounding how both Sunak and Johnson “lost” their app messages over the same period of time, and nothing is being done to correct this.

Is this a court of law?

Isn’t this perjury?

They’re shameless and seem to believe none of us have changed phones and still have all our whatsap messages. If it wasn’t so serious, it would be hilarious

Don't you think that the 'lost whatsapps' story makes the pair of them look very, very dodgy in most people's eyes? It's a really stupid story for them to be sticking to when it so obviously isn't true..

Once again, Johnson and Sunak, are taking us for fools. Let’s face it, they’ve been doing it for years so this is ‘business as usual’ for them. Of course, we all know that WhatsApp messages don’t just disappear when we change our phones, but they don’t care. I don’t know if this enquiry carries the same weight as a court of law in terms of perjury, but they all took the oath on the bible so …?

It's also amazing how similar Johnson & Sunak's evidence is.. '

I don't recall that'
I wasn't aware of that'
I don't remember that'
'Nobody told me'

It's as though the two holding the highest offices in the land were stumbling around in a complete fog all the time with no-one helping them out...

Johnson never lets me down, always shifty and rarely if ever honest
I was surprised by how shifty Sunak sounded during his evidence. I’m not a Sunak supporter but I’d given him more credit for being able to appear reliable than his evidence showed him to be