Covid Inquiry – Boris Johnson Allegedly Named Treasury the ‘Pro-death Squad’
The UK’s Covid Inquiry into the government’s pandemic approach showed Boris Johnson allegedly called the Treasury the “pro-death squad” in January 2021.
This statement follows negative reports from the inquiry about the Conservative Party, including misogyny from Dominic Cummings.
The chief scientific adviser during this time, Sir Patrick Vallance, wrote in his diary that Johnson called Rishi Sunak’s Treasury the “pro-death squad.” This alleged comment was when Johnson was pushing for easing lockdown restrictions by September. Vallance also wrote that Johnson agreed with some MPs that Covid was “nature’s way of dealing with old people.”
Dermot Keating, counsel for the inquiry, asked Stuart Glassborow, the former deputy principal private secretary to Johnson, whether “the Treasury and the Chancellor were pejoratively referred to as pro-death.” Glassborow responded that he didn’t remember Johnson using the phrase.
Beyond the Houses of Parliament, the inquiry discovered that the elderly “disproportionately” died from causes relating to Covid-19.
The inquiry found, “since the beginning of the pandemic to 21st October of this year, the 75 and over age group accounted for almost two-thirds of all deaths and almost three-quarters of Covid-19-related deaths.”
“It’s the elderly who are disproportionately represented in terms of those who died.”
– Covid Inquiry
And these elderly casualties are linked to the government’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) failings.
For example, Ms. Gallagher, speaking for the Trades Union Congress (TUC), called the HSE response “wholly inadequate”.
She said, “Six months into a pandemic, which had terrible consequences in so many workplaces, that HSE had conducted only 47 site visits and issued only one prohibition notice. We, on behalf of the TUC, say that that was wholly inadequate.”
Johnson responded to the inquiry, saying, “We simply had no good choices, and it was necessary at all times to weigh up the harms that any choice would cause.”
“Societal damage has been widespread”
The inquiry continues, with Johnson expected to give oral evidence later this autumn.
Meanwhile, Mr Hugo Keith, from the King’s Council, said that Covid’s effects are broad. He said, “Societal damage has been widespread, with unmet health needs, damaged educational prospects, financial insecurity, exacerbated inequalities and access to opportunity significantly weakened.”
The latest inquiry hearing happened earlier today.
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