In an upcoming appearance before the COVID inquiry, Boris Johnson is set to candidly acknowledge that he “undeniably made errors” during the pandemic. Despite this, he will assert that his choices played a pivotal role in saving tens of thousands of lives.
Scheduled to provide testimony next week, the former prime minister, as reported by The Times, plans to issue an “unreserved apology,” recognizing that his government was initially overly complacent about the threats posed by the virus.
Mr. Johnson is anticipated to express remorse for his earlier proclamation about shaking hands with patients in a coronavirus ward. He will also defend the timing of the three lockdowns imposed in the UK.
His argument will center around the idea that a failure to act promptly would have resulted in thousands of “miserable and unnecessary deaths,” some occurring in hospital car parks and corridors.
Contrary to views expressed by England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, Mr. Johnson is expected to counter that the first lockdown in March 2020 was not delayed. Instead, he claims Prof Whitty played a pivotal role in advocating for a delay, with discussions on the possibility of a lockdown occurring three weeks before its enforcement.
Additionally, the former PM is poised to reject allegations of adopting a “let it rip” approach to COVID, emphasizing that he never aimed for herd immunity.
Mr. Johnson anticipates facing challenging queries on various fronts, encompassing the contentious partygate issue, his communication with government colleagues, and the evidence presented thus far.