Boris Johnson wasn’t in attendance at the Covid Inquiry this morning, but he was certainly there in spirit. The ex-Prime Minister suffered a bevvy of blows in absentia, in the form of WhatsApps published from his former No. 10 team. Among the more explosive were his blunt views on a second national lockdown in October 2020: ‘We should let the old people get it [coronavirus] and protect others’ he wrote in one. ‘The median age is 82-81 for men & 85 for women. That is above life expectancy. So get Covid and live longer.’ A diary entry from Sir Patrick Vallance complained that Johnson is ‘obsessed with older people accepting their fate and letting the young get on with life and the economy going.’
The messages were published as part of an evidence session with his former No. 10 communications chief Lee Cain. He admitted that the pandemic was the ‘wrong crisis’ for his bosses’ ‘skill set’, painting a picture of dither and delay.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in