A UK inquiry into the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed today that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government should "let people die" during the pandemic instead of imposing a second nationwide lockdown. Patrick Vallance, who served as the government's chief scientific advisor during the pandemic, mentioned in his memoirs that a meeting took place on October 25, 2020, which included then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sunak, who was the Chancellor of the Exchequer at the time.
The memoirs presented to the inquiry showed how Dominic Cummings, Johnson's chief advisor during the pandemic, conveyed to Vallance what he heard during the meeting. Vallance quoted Cummings in his memoirs saying, "Rishi thinks it's okay to let people die. This reflects a complete lack of leadership." A spokesperson for Sunak stated that the Prime Minister would clarify his position when he presents his evidence to the inquiry "rather than respond to each point individually."
The inquiry is examining the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in substantial economic shutdowns and over 220,000 deaths in the UK. The investigation is set to continue until the summer of 2026. Senior government officials have indicated that the government was not prepared to deal with the pandemic, and that a "toxic" and "arrogant" culture hindered the response to the health crisis. The risk for Sunak lies in the evidence presented in the inquiry undermining his attempts to portray himself as being separate from Johnson's chaotic leadership, despite having been a senior minister in that government.
