Pandemic inquiry by next spring reveals PM
BORIS Johnson will be quizzed under oath over his life-and- death decisions on lockdown, care homes and PPE after ordering a public inquiry into the Government’s handling of the pandemic.
The Prime Minister surprised MPs yesterday by announcing a full public inquiry into the crisis will be launched next spring.
He told them: ‘Amid such tragedy the state has an obligation to examine its actions as rigorously and as candidly as possible, and to learn every lesson for the future.’
The inquiry will have powers to interview witnesses under oath and disclose all relevant evidence.
Downing Street said Mr Johnson was willing to hand over private emails and messages if necessary and would be prepared to give evidence for days, if required.
His spokesman said: ‘If asked, the Prime Minister will give evidence.’
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer repeated his call that the inquiry should start this year. But Mr Johnson said the process would place a heavy burden on ministers and officials still dealing with the crisis.
Ministers are braced for criticism in a number of areas when the inquiry is eventually held.
Key concerns include delays in ordering the lockdowns, both last spring and last autumn, the lack of PPE during the first wave, the slow pace at which testing was expanded and the disastrous decision to discharge thousands of older people from hospitals into care homes without testing as the pandemic grew.
They will also have to hand over secret analysis of the likely economic, health and social costs of lockdown, which were commissioned by government departments but never published.
And the inquiry will examine the Government’s preparedness for a pandemic, and the initial response of Mr Johnson and other ministers to the emerging crisis in China in January last year. Downing Street confirmed yesterday an internal ‘lessons learned’ review has already been completed, but will not be released.
No 10 said the Government had not yet decided who would lead the inquiry, but stressed that it will have to be an ‘independent’ figure.
Ministers hope they will get credit for the big early bets placed on vaccine development, which have now paid off handsomely, and believe many of their decisions can be defended, given the unprecedented challenge of the pandemic.
In the short term, they fear they will face more immediate criticism when Dominic Cummings gives evidence to MPs on the crisis later this month. The PM’s former chief adviser has already described the Department of Health’s initial response as an ‘absolute total disaster’.