An inquiry has revealed that Boris Johnson’s leadership during the Covid pandemic fostered a chaotic environment where decisions were influenced by the loudest voices rather than critical reasoning. The Covid Inquiry criticized the government’s pandemic management, attributing thousands of unnecessary deaths to Johnson’s lack of clear guidance, leading to unwarranted lockdowns. The report highlighted how Johnson’s governance nurtured a toxic atmosphere that allowed disruptive figures like Dominic Cummings to disrupt decision-making processes.
Chair of the inquiry, Baroness Hallett, pointed out that Johnson’s failure to address the disorderly culture within his government amplified the dominance of assertive voices, often disregarding input from other colleagues, particularly women, resulting in subpar decision-making. One consequence of this chaotic environment was the implementation of the £840 million Eat Out to Help Out scheme without proper consultation with the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), despite warnings from government scientific advisors that the initiative could raise infection rates.
The inquiry emphasized that the Eat Out to Help Out scheme contradicted established public health messages on social distancing and indoor socializing, ultimately undermining efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Despite initial claims that scientific advisers were involved in discussions about the scheme, Johnson later admitted that no such consultations took place. While the scheme provided a significant boost to the hospitality sector, it coincided with a sharp increase in Covid cases, with reported numbers surging by 250% over a two-week period in August 2020.
The inquiry also heard statements from Chris Whitty, the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, who criticized the scheme as “eat out to help out the virus.” Johnson’s handling of the scheme, which lacked scientific advice and consultation, was highlighted as a key example of the government’s flawed decision-making process during the pandemic.