Johnson wanted to let Covid ‘rip’ knowing people would die and Sunak thought this was ‘okay’

Sir Patrick Vallance the government’s former chief scientist has given evidence to the Covid inquiry where it has been revealed that Boris Johnson wanted to Coronavirus “rip” despite knowing people will die.

The then Chancellor Rishi Sunak who is now the Prime Minister thought that this was “okay” the Covid inquiry was told on Monday.

The Vallance diaries reveal shocking insights to what was being discussed behind the scenes at the time, the inquiry was told on 25 October 2020 on that “shambolic” day England was heading into lockdown two.

Sir Patrick’s diary entry shows that Johnson was happy to allow Covid to spread and Dominic Cummings (DC) suggested that Sunak thought this is “okay” to let people needlessly die from the virus.

The extract reads, “PM meeting – begins to argue for letting it all rip. Saying yes there will be more casualties but so be it – ‘they have had a good innings.’

“Not persuaded by (Jon) Edmunds, (Neil) Ferguson, (Jeremy) Farrar. PM says ‘the population just has to behave doesn’t it’.

“Heat maps ‘I have the necrotising maps’ so depressing.

“DC says trajectory will leave us in Nov – much as where we were in 1st week of April.

“Chris quite bullish about being able to take the brakes off more in April…

“Goes on about Gulf War Syndrome again… PM getting very frustrated – throwing papers down.

“PM then back on to ‘most people who die have reached their time anyway’.

“DC arguing we need to save lives – it is not democratically possible to follow another route…

“DC argued again (rightly) that a lockdown’s coming and therefore do it sooner rather than later.

“PM concludes, ‘Looks like we are in a really tough spot, a complete shambles.’

“‘I really don’t want to do another national lockdown’.

“PM told that if he wants to go down this route of letting go, ‘you need to tell people – you need to tell them you are going to allow people to die’…

“Conclusion – beef up the tiers – consider a national lockdown – decide by when.

“DC says ‘Rishi thinks just let people die and that’s okay’.

“This all feels like a complete lack of leadership.”

Sir Patrick wrote that “we have a weak indecisive PM.”