Boris Johnson Just Got Royally Thrown Under The Bus By His Former Aide
"Tens of thousands of people died, who didn't need to die."
During a seven-hour (yes, seven hour) inquiry on Wednesday, Dominic Cummings — who was once Boris Johnson’s chief adviser and right-hand man — completely let rip about how the British prime minister handled the UK’s COVID response.
Cummings, who was a key player in Johnson’s 2019 election win, and also led the ‘Leave’ Brexit campaign, left very little to the imagination in regards to his opinion on how his former boss handled the pandemic, when he gave his explosive testimony.
What Exactly Is Going On Here?
The PM’s former adviser spoke at a parliamentary inquiry looking into Britain’s mishandling of the initial outbreak of COVID in 2020, as well as the deadly second wave that swept through the UK at Christmas.
Cummings told the hearing that the government had essentially “failed” the British people, and that he believes families lost loved ones who “died unnecessarily”.
Britain deserves so much better than Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings. At least one of them has now admitted it.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) May 26, 2021
“The truth is that senior ministers, senior officials, senior advisers like me, fell disastrously short of the standards that the public has a right to expect of its government in a crisis like this,” said Cummings.
“Tens of thousands of people died, who didn’t need to die … When the public needed us the most the government failed.”
Cummings went on to make explosive claims directed at his former boss, saying that Johnson was “unfit for the job” after he ignored scientific advice and delayed vital lockdowns. He also confirmed the allegations that Johnson suggested being injected with the virus on live TV to prove it wasn’t dangerous.
“Tens of thousands of people died, who didn’t need to die … When the public needed us the most the government failed.”
He also confirmed reports that claim Johnson said he would rather see “bodies pile high in their thousands” than locking down the country for a second time were true, even though the prime minister has repeatedly denied ever saying such a thing.
One thing Johnson hasn’t denied is that he once said that COVID-19 was “only killing over 80s” when he was trying to downplay the severity of the pandemic.
Who Is Cummings Again?
You might remember the name Dominic Cummings from the lockdown breach scandal that came out of Downing Street in early 2020.
The government had just told the public to stay home and avoid travel, but the senior advisor was spotted in Durham, 264 miles from his London home, where he was meant to be isolating.
The prime minister and health secretary Matt Hancock had just tested positive for COVID, and Cummings had reportedly also developed symptoms.
Matt Hancock said he didn't watch Dominic Cummings' testimony because he was busy 'saving lives'. Health care workers, truly saving lives, died from the virus for lack of proper PPE while he gifted Covid contracts to Tory friends. How dare he say he was saving lives. Obnoxious.
— Paul Delaney (@coaimpaul) May 27, 2021
So, What Happens Next?
The damning evidence from the hearing is just the first insight into what can be expected at the inquiry scheduled to begin next year.
The UK has had almost 128,000 deaths from COVID-19 to date, and has had the world’s fifth-highest number of recorded cases.