Boris Johnson’s Covid handling criticised by senior aide in UK public inquiry
- Lee Cain, Downing Street’s ex-communications chief, said he became ‘exhausted’ by Johnson’s indecision and oscillation in early 2020
- The virus led to nearly 130,000 fatalities being recorded in Britain by mid-July 2021, one of the worst official Covid-19 death tolls in the world
The Covid pandemic was the “wrong crisis” for the skill set of Britain’s scandal-tarred former prime minister Boris Johnson, one of his most senior ex-advisers told a public inquiry Tuesday.
Lee Cain, Downing Street’s ex-communications chief, said he became “exhausted” by Johnson’s indecision and oscillation in dealing with the pandemic in early 2020.
Cain was testifying at the Covid-19 public inquiry examining the handing of the health emergency.
The virus led to nearly 130,000 fatalities being recorded in Britain by mid-July 2021, one of the worst official Covid-19 death tolls in the world.
Johnson and his government faced criticism for not taking the threat seriously enough in the early stages of the outbreak, and of not having enough protective equipment for frontline medical staff.
“It was the wrong crisis for this prime minister’s skill set,” Cain said of his former boss, during several hours of testimony under oath.