✕CloseBoris Johnson shown all the times he said 'let Covid rip' in uncomfortable inquiry moment
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Rishi Sunak today told the Covid-19 Inquiry that launching the Eat Out to Help Out scheme was “the right thing to do”, adding it was designed to be safe within the lifting of lockdown measures.
The prime minister, who was chancellor at the time of the crisis, also defended the Treasury which was described as the “pro-death squad” by Boris Johnson because it wanted to ease lockdown restrictions quickly.
This afternoon, counsel Hugo Keith KC asked Mr Sunak why the Eat Out to Help Out scheme was rolled out without consultation with Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
Mr Sunak said it was a “micro policy” designed “specifically in the context of the safe lifting of [COVID measures] that had already been signed off”.
Earlier in the day, Mr Sunak apologised to bereaved families for the government’s actions during the pandemic.
The PM is the latest member of the Covid-19 cabinet to face the inquiry. Last week, former prime minister Boris Johnson defended his actions and hit out at “dramatic” representations of the Partygate revelations.
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‘I was not aware the Treasury was called pro-death squad’
Rishi Sunak has said he was not aware the Treasury was called the “pro-death squad” when he was chancellor during the pandemic.
The prime minister said the term is “not a fair characterisation” of “the incredibly hardworking people” in the department.
Former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance revealed Boris Johnson joked about the Treasury being “the pro-death squad” during the pandemic because it wanted to ease lockdown restrictions quickly.
In an extract from his diary, shown to the Covid inquiry, Sir Patrick said Mr Johnson “ended up by saying the team must bring in the pro-death squad from HMT [Her Majesty’s Treasury]”.
Mr Sunak said: “The people who worked with the Treasury who worked extremely hard that entire period.”
Alex Ross11 December 2023 15:171702313586
Sunak’s appearance at Covid inquiry draws to close
Chairwoman Baroness Hallett thanked Rishi Sunak for giving evidence to her inquiry as his appearance drew to a close on Monday afternoon.
She told him: “Thank you very much, Prime Minister. I appreciate that – I doubt there’s ever an easy time for you to come along here to give evidence.
“Appreciate it’s difficult this particular week and thank you for your help.”
With that, the oral evidence for the probe’s second module is completed.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain11 December 2023 16:531702312075
PM rejects suggestion of inequality
The PM is now questioned byLeslie Thomas KC, counsel for the Federation of Ethnic Minority Healthcare Organisations. He asks if the PM would agree with him that he put ethnic minority workers at further risk of infection through schemes such as Eat Out to Help Out.
Mr Sunak says that’s not the case, and Eat Out to Help Out was set up to protect jobs.
Mr Thomas is also told off by Baroness Hallett for accusing Mr Sunak of running down the clock through his answering of questions.
Alex Ross11 December 2023 16:271702311236
Questions put to Sunak from bereavement groups
Covid inquiry counsel Hugo Keith KC has finished his questioning of the prime minister. Now is the turn of the bereavement groups with Anna Morris KC, from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, the first up.
She asks about funding and support for care workers during the pandemic.
Following her, Nia Gowman, from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru, who asks if the Welsh government had the option to opt out of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
Mr Sunak says there was no reason to consult the Welsh government, which did not object.
She then shows an extract from a witness statement from Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford in which he claims that the Treasury was acting on behalf of England, not the whole of the UK.
Mr Sunak rejects the suggestion.
Alex Ross11 December 2023 16:131702309497
Sunak’s defence of Eat Out to Help Out – analysis
The prime minister put up a strong defence for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme this afternoon.
The initiative was rolled out in August 2020, and came after indoor hospitality had reopened.
A total of £849 million claimed from more than 160 million meals across the country with people able to get a 50 per cent discount on their meals.
However, some have accused the government of pushing through the scheme in the interest of the economy with limited thought for the consequence on public health.
Mr Sunak today was quick to point out that the “micro policy” came after indoor hospitality had been opened.
He then went on to say the government’s scientific advisers had the opportunity to raise concerns between the announcement of the scheme and it being rolled out – but did not.
He later said the scheme was the “right thing to do”, pointing out the number of jobs saved as a result.
Clearly, Mr Sunak stands by the controversial scheme.
Alex Ross11 December 2023 15:441702308906
Watch: No one objected to Eat Out To Help Out, Sunak reveals
No one objected to Eat Out To Help Out, Sunak revealsAlex Ross11 December 2023 15:351702308201
‘I did not call poor parents freeloaders'
Rishi Sunak has denied calling parents who cannot afford to buy food for their children “freeloaders”.
The prime minister, who was chancellor during the pandemic, was quizzed by Covid inquiry counsel Hugo Keith KC about whether he used the term amid a row with Marcus Rashford over free school meals.
The Manchester United star had campaigned in 2021 for food vouchers over the summer for children eligible for free school meals.
Sir Patrick Vallance’s diaries recalled a meeting in which someone said: “Good working people pay for their children to eat and we don’t want freeloaders.”
Sir Patrick said the comment was made by either Mr Sunak or the Conservative chief whip.
Asked by Mr Keith whether he was responsible, Mr Sunak said: “I did not say those words. I don’t recollect anyone saying those words.”
Archie Mitchell11 December 2023 15:231702307699
PM hits back at top scientists over launch of Eat Out to Help Out
Interesting response from Mr Sunak after former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and England’s chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty said there were unaware of the Eat Out To Help Out scheme until it was announced.
Sir Patrick went on to tell the inquiry last month that Eat Out to Help Out was “highly likely” to have increased Covid deaths in the UK.
Speaking to the inquiry this afternoon, Mr Sunak said the top scientists did not raise concerns about Eat Out To Help Out in meetings following the initiative’s announcement and prior to its commencement.
When asked by inquiry counsel Hugo Keith why the Treasury did not “raise expressly” the matter of Eat Out To Help out in Covid-S meetings on July 16, July 22 and August 6 2020, Mr Sunak said there was “a month for people to raise concerns that they may have had”.
He added: “And actually it’s precisely in those three meetings that you mentioned; Covid-S on 16th July, the chief medical officer, in the minutes, talked about two significant risk moments: schools and winter. He did not mention Eat Out To Help Out.
“On the 22nd of July, the agenda item is August planning. And again, it was not raised by the chief scientific adviser or chief medical officer.
“On 6th August, the Covid-S meeting that you acknowledged, again, the minutes show that returning to schools was the single riskiest element of the Government’s plan. Those three meetings all happened after the announcement of Eat Out To Help Out, all of them involve the chief scientific adviser and the chief medical officer.”
Alex Ross11 December 2023 15:141702307156
'Concerns should have raised at the time’
The prime minsiter says he does not believe the Eat Out To Help Out scheme was a risk and that the “onus” should have been on those who felt strongly about the policy to raise concerns “when something could have been done about it”.
Defending the scheme, he says: “Why would I raise it as a risk when I didn’t believe that it was? Because it was designed in the context of a safe reopening.
“The onus is surely on the people who now believe that it was a risk to have raised it at the time, when something could have been done about it, if they felt strongly.
“I’m very clear that I don’t believe that it was, because hospitality had been deemed to be safe to reopen with a considerable – as I said – hundreds of pages of guidance, changes in practice, and had been recommended by think tanks, and had been done by countries elsewhere.
“This was a very reasonable, sensible policy intervention to help safeguard those jobs in that safe reopening. That was my view. I didn’t believe that it was a risk. I believe it was the right thing to do.
“But if others are suggesting that they didn’t, they had ample opportunity to raise those concerns in forums where I was there, or where the Prime Minister or others were, and they didn’t.”
Alex Ross11 December 2023 15:051702306899
Sunak’s red bracelet
Many eagle-eyed viewers of today’s Covid-19 Inquiry will spot the red bracelet worn by Rishi Sunak.
The prime minister wears it every day as a mark of his Hindu faith.
The bracelet, known as a kautuka, is regarded as a symbol of good luck and protection.
What is the significance of Rishi Sunak’s red bracelet?
The new prime minister is frequently spotted with thread around his wrist
Alex Ross11 December 2023 15:01NewerOlder✕
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