Johnson's corona policy: like a shopping cart moving around
For a long time, the UK went its own way during the coronavirus pandemic. Former Prime Minister Johnson is mainly responsible for this. Now he has to answer questions before a commission. His former companions paint a disastrous picture of his policies.
The good news for Boris Johnson: there will be no official verdict on his coronavirus policy, which many consider disastrous. However, the hours of questioning before the independent commission of inquiry are unlikely to be pleasant for the former British Prime Minister. Burning questions are to be expected, which have been in the air since the pandemic.
Why did he hesitate with the first lockdown? Did he miss important meetings because he preferred to write a biography of Shakespeare? How did the "Partygate" affair involving illegal parties in Downing Street come about? And did Johnson even understand what his academics were explaining to him at the time? Allegedly, he once seriously asked whether the coronavirus could be stopped by blowing his nose with a special hairdryer.
For weeks, the Covid-19 Inquiry, which Johnson set up when he was prime minister, has been questioning high-profile witnesses under the chairmanship of former judge Heather Hallett. Former ministers testified, as did the government's scientific advisors and Johnson's former chief adviser Dominic Cummings. He was once referred to as the "eminence grise", but has long had a hearty dislike for his former superior - and did not leave a good hair on Johnson's head. The ex-head of government is like a shopping cart that wanders around: he tends to constantly turn around and change his mind.
Data is said to have confused Johnson
But other witness statements do not paint a favorable picture either. Johnson's former head of communications Lee Cain, for example, said that the pandemic was the "wrong crisis" for Johnson's "capabilities" and accused him of procrastination and delay. Ex-Health Secretary Sajid Javid said Cummings was the real Prime Minister - just not in title. Former chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance said Johnson had been confused by research data.
Numerous explosive WhatsApp messages also came to light. For example, top government official Simon Case wrote about Johnson: "Governing isn't actually that hard, but this guy really makes it impossible." The government looks like a "tragic joke". Johnson changes his strategy every day. The news pointed to a culture of deceit and contempt in the seat of government, the Sky News channel commented.
Former top civil servant Helen MacNamara called the atmosphere under Johnson sexist, toxic and as awful as she had ever experienced. Because of his "macho, self-confident" nature, the government team was incredibly stubborn at the start of the pandemic. Cummings in particular repeatedly used a vulgar tone in chat messages to berate female staff like MacNamara, once calling cabinet members "useless fucking pigs" and repeatedly calling for ministers or civil servants to be sacked.
Johnson is said to have preferred piles of corpses to a lockdown
But some of Johnson's comments are also likely to raise questions. In the fall of 2020, for example, the then prime minister is said to have said that he would rather "let the bodies pile up" than announce a new lockdown - which he did soon afterwards. According to former advisor Vallance, Johnson said another time that "corona is nature's way of dealing with old people". They should accept their fate.
There are enough accusations to provoke Johnson, who is prone to emotional outbursts. According to reports in the British media, the 59-year-old wants to counter the accusations objectively. Yes, his government has made mistakes, the populist politician will say. But at the same time, he will emphasize that he was right on the big issues - his decisions have saved tens, if not hundreds of thousands of lives. Why did he often change his mind? Because he had received so much and so much changing advice - under great pressure to make the right decision. Why he used such "colorful" language and took provocative positions in private? Because he wanted to get the best out of his advisors. Leading politicians such as Construction Secretary Michael Gove jumped to Johnson's side. Ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock blamed former adviser Cummings in particular for the bad atmosphere.
Commission head Hallett cannot pass judgment. But above all, relatives of the 227,000 people who, according to death certificates, died of Covid-19 in the UK will be listening closely to what Johnson says - and how. "A country will be watching and waiting: for scrutiny, accountability and answers," commented the BBC.
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Source: www.ntv.de
