GEIS-新闻详情

Dominic Cummings acted as prime minister ‘in all but name’, Sajid Javid tells Covid inquiry

2023-12-01 00:00:00.0 独立报-英国政治原网页

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email

Please enter a valid email address

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email

{{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

Dominic Cummings acted as prime minister in all but name and was the driving force behind key decisions during the pandemic, Sajid Javid has told the Covid inquiry.

The former health secretary said cabinet ministers were often excluded from decision-making and it was Mr Cummings calling the shots.

Recalling his decision to resign as chancellor in February 2020, he said he agreed with claims made by others that there was a “toxic” and “feral” culture within No 10 and said he had “not experienced that extent of dysfunction in any government before”.

He blamed the dominance of Mr Cummings, who was Mr Johnson’s top adviser, revealing: “I felt that the elected prime minister was not in charge of what was happening in his name and was largely content with Mr Cummings running the government.”

Mr Javid said that, when he stood down from his post after Mr Cummings told him to sack all his aides, he warned that the strategist had been given “a huge amount of responsibility and power” and “would not stop until he had burnt the house down”.

RECOMMENDED

Jimmy Carter remains in hospice care after Rosalynn’s death

Undo

New Zealand smoking ban reversal is a blow to Jacinda Ardern’s legacy

Undo

Interactive Brokers

Open an account today!Interactive Brokers| Sponsored Sponsored

Undo

Combat Siege

If you have a mouse, you have to play this gameCombat Siege| Sponsored Sponsored

Undo

On another day of shocking revelations, the Covid-19 Inquiry heard:

Mr Javid said Britons would have to “learn to live” with Covid, to which Mr Johnson replied, “and die with it” Mr Johnson believed people were “going into hospital with Covid who don’t need it” Former deputy chief medical officer Dame Jenny Harries said it would be “clinically appropriate” to discharge Covid patients from hospitals into care homes Mr Javid said he was not invited to key meetings when the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was on the rise Dominic Raab said he did not accept the Johnson government was a “puppet regime” run by Mr Cummings

Mr Javid opened his testimony to the inquiry stating that “we will never fully understand the scale of the grief” of those who lost loved ones.

Promoted stories

PanzerRush

If you own a mouse, you have to play this game. No Install. Play for free.PanzerRush

Undo

by Taboola by Taboola