BORIS: DOM’S A FANTASIST

The day after that Domshell, PM savages ex-adviser’s toxic claims and says. . . ‘any They don’t bear relation ’ to reality

BORIS Johnson dismissed Dominic Cummings as a fantasist yesterday, as he denied that complacency and indecision over the pandemic had cost tens of thousands of lives.

The Prime Minister faced a barrage of criticism from his former chief adviser on Wednesday, with Mr Cummings claiming he was ‘unfit’ to lead the country.

Yesterday, Mr Johnson hit back, suggesting that many of the claims made by his former ally were little more than fantasy.

During his marathon evidence session with MPs on Wednesday, Mr Cummings said it was ‘crackers’ that the political system had made Mr Johnson prime minister.

Asked if he thought the PM was a ‘fit and proper person’ to lead the country out of the pandemic, he replied: ‘No.’

Asked about the wounding criticism yesterday, Mr Johnson said: ‘I think that it is important for us to focus on what really matters to the people of this country.

‘Some of the commentary I have heard doesn’t bear any relation to reality.

‘What people want us to get on with is delivering the roadmap and trying cautiously to take our country forward through what has been one of the most difficult periods anyone can remember post-war.’

Mr Cummings claimed that dithering and obstinacy by the PM delayed a second lockdown last autumn – with disastrous results.

‘Tens of thousands of people died who didn’t need to die,’ he said.

The claim was backed by Sage committee scientist John Edmunds, who told ITV’s Peston Show: ‘We could have reduced the deaths in the autumn wave by a significant margin, yes, if we’d have taken action.’

‘The PM didn’t fire him early enough’

Asked whether he accepted tens of thousands of people had died needlessly, Mr Johnson said: ‘No, I don’t think so.’ He said the pandemic had thrown up a series of ‘incredibly difficult series of decisions, none of which have been taken lightly’.

Mr Johnson acknowledged that economic considerations had played a part in lockdown decisions, but insisted that saving lives and protecting the NHS had been his priorities throughout.

He added: ‘You have got to recognise – and I hope people understand this – that when we go into a lockdown, it is a very, very painful and traumatic thing for people, for people’s mental health, for their lives and livelihoods. And, of course, we have got to set that against the effects of the pandemic, of Covid.

‘At every stage we have been governed by a determination or protect life, save life, ensure our NHS is not overwhelmed and followed to the best we can the data and guidance we had.’

Tory MPs rallied round the Prime Minister, with Peter Bone dismissing Mr Cummings as an ‘unelected Spad (special adviser) who broke Covid regulations, admitted he had leaked stuff to the BBC and, by his own admission, wasn’t fit to be in No 10’.

He added: ‘The only mistake the Prime Minister made in this pandemic is he didn’t fire Dominic Cummings early enough.’

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: ‘Dominic Cummings used to work in No 10. He tried his best.’

Health minister Nadine Dorries added: ‘Allegations of incompetence at the top of government have to be considered in light of the fact that this government is leading the world in Covid recovery.’

In a damaging claim on Wednesday, Mr Cummings claimed he had heard the PM rant last autumn that he would rather see ‘bodies pile up in their thousands’ than order a third lockdown. Mr Johnson denied the claim. But asked more broadly whether he felt Mr Cummings had told the truth to MPs, he said: ‘I make no comment on that.’ Both he and No10 also declined to comment on further allegations made by Mr Cummings, or to elaborate on which parts of his former aide’s evidence he considered to be detached from reality.

Some ministers fear that attempting a point-by-point rebuttal could result in Mr Cummings making more claims about the Government’s failings.

In an ominous sign, the former Vote Leave boss last night resumed a lengthy social media post on the

Government’s handling of the pandemic. He released a picture of a white board, apparently set up in the PM’s study in No 10 on March 14, on which he had set out the case for the first lockdown.

The board shows that lockdown

needed to be implemented to ‘reduce the rate’ at which the virus was spreading and create time to increase NHS capacity and avoid thousands of deaths.

The Prime Minister was buoyed last night by a new poll showing the Tories extending their lead over Labour. The Survation poll, which was largely conducted before Mr Cummings gave evidence, put the Conservatives up six points on 44 per cent, with Labour down five on 33.