Current:Home > FinanceBoris Johnson’s aide-turned-enemy Dominic Cummings set to testify at UK COVID-19 inquiry-LoTradeCoin
Boris Johnson’s aide-turned-enemy Dominic Cummings set to testify at UK COVID-19 inquiry
View Date:2024-12-23 19:56:31
LONDON (AP) — A former top aide who has accused ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson of being unfit for office is scheduled to testify Tuesday at Britain’s public inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dominic Cummings, who was the prime minister’s chief adviser during the first months of the pandemic in 2020, follows other aides who have painted a picture of Johnson as a leader who was distracted and indecisive during the country’s biggest peacetime crisis.
On Monday, former principal private secretary Martin Reynolds acknowledged there had been a “systemic failure” to prepare for the pandemic and said Johnson blew ”hot and cold” on key issues and hesitated to make important decisions.
Another ex-aide, Imran Shafi, alleged that Johnson had asked at a meeting before lockdown was imposed in March 2020, why the economy was being destroyed “for people who will die anyway soon.”
Cummings has also claimed Johnson was reluctant to impose lockdowns because he said the virus was primarily killing the elderly.
Johnson is due to testify at the inquiry later in the year.
Cummings, a self-styled political disruptor, was hired by Johnson after helping to mastermind the victorious “leave” campaign in Britain’s 2016 European Union membership referendum. He went to work in Downing Street when Johnson became prime minister in 2019, filling a loosely defined but powerful role that saw him dubbed “Boris’s brain.”
In May 2020 it was revealed that Cummings had driven 250 miles (400 km) across England to his parents’ house while the country was under a “stay-at-home” order and while he was ill with coronavirus. Cummings made a later journey to a scenic town 30 miles (50 km) away.
At the time Johnson resisted calls to fire him, but Cummings left his job in November 2020 and has fired broadsides at Johnson ever since on social media and his blog.
The U.K. has one of the highest COVID-19 death tolls in Europe, with the virus recorded as a cause of death for some 227,000 people.
Johnson agreed in late 2021 to hold a public inquiry after heavy pressure from bereaved families. The probe, led by retired judge Heather Hallett, is expected to take three years to complete.
veryGood! (937)
Related
- Best fits for Corbin Burnes: 6 teams that could match up with Cy Young winner
- Why zoos can't buy or sell animals
- Taylor Swift Goes Back to December With Speak Now Song in Summer I Turned Pretty Trailer
- There's No Crying Over These Secrets About A League of Their Own
- QTM Community Introduce
- What went wrong at Silicon Valley Bank? The Fed is set to release a postmortem report
- Warming Trends: Weather Guarantees for Your Vacation, Plus the Benefits of Microbial Proteins and an Urban Bias Against the Environment
- Little Miss Sunshine's Alan Arkin Dead at 89
- The Daily Money: Markets react to Election 2024
- Pete Davidson’s New Purchase Proves He’s Already Thinking About Future Kids
Ranking
- Barbora Krejcikova calls out 'unprofessional' remarks about her appearance
- When you realize your favorite new song was written and performed by ... AI
- NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell fired after CNBC anchor alleges sexual harassment
- Where Are Interest Rates Going?
- Jennifer Garner and Boyfriend John Miller Are All Smiles In Rare Public Outing
- Inside Clean Energy: Taking Stock of the Energy Storage Boom Happening Right Now
- Facebook users can apply for their portion of a $725 million lawsuit settlement
- Inside Clean Energy: Here’s How Compressed Air Can Provide Long-Duration Energy Storage
Recommendation
-
Mike Williams Instagram post: Steelers' WR shades Aaron Rodgers 'red line' comments
-
Can forcing people to save cool inflation?
-
10 Trendy Amazon Jewelry Finds You'll Want to Wear All the Time
-
Little Miss Sunshine's Alan Arkin Dead at 89
-
Ashton Jeanty stats: How many rushing yards did Boise State Heisman hopeful have vs Nevada
-
Netflix’s Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Movie Reveals Fiery New Details
-
Supreme Court looks at whether Medicare and Medicaid were overbilled under fraud law
-
Latest IPCC Report Marks Progress on Climate Justice