A series of WhatsApp messages exchanged between Boris Johnson and is team of advisers have accused the former UK prime minister of making it “impossible” to tackle Covid-19. Mr Johnson is also accused of creating chaos and changing direction “every day”. According to The Guardian, the remarks were presented before a Covid-19 inquiry that was hearing about the Johnson government’s handling of the pandemic. The messages were sent between Mr Johnson’s advisors Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain, and former Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.
According to The Guardian report, a note from a diary of a private secretary quoted Mr Johnson’s as saying in one of the meetings: “We’re killing the patient to tackle the tumour. Large ppl (short for people) who will die, why are we destroying economy for people who will die anyway soon.”
The messages and more notes like this suggested the former prime minister was held in low regard by his advisors.
Mr Case, the top civil servant, even declared at one point: “I am at the end of my tether.”
“He changes strategic direction every day (Monday we were all about fear of virus returning as per Europe, March etc – today we’re in ‘let it rip’ mode cos the UK is pathetic, needs a cold shower etc.)” Mr Case further said, as per the outlet. He is due to appear as a witness at the inquiry at a later date.
A report in Independent said Mr Johnson’s chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance said the former prime minister was “all over the place” and “so completely inconsistent”.
In other entries Sir Patrick described how he felt scientists were “used as human shields” by ministers.
Mr Johnson, who was the main political leader behind the movement to take Britain out of the European Union, became prime minister in 2019 and won a large majority in an election later that year. But he resigned in 2022 after a string of scandals which cost him the support of many Conservative Party lawmakers.
