Case for immediate Covid inquiry is mostly made out of naked self-interest

NO SHOW TRIAL

THE case for an immediate Covid public inquiry is bogus and mostly made out of naked self-interest.

It would not bring swift “justice” for those grieving lost loved-ones. It would merely distract politicians, scientists and medics from saving other lives right now. And that remains their focus. This virus is not done yet.

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Nor would it teach useful lessons that could be applied right away.

Public inquiries, with witnesses ­laboriously questioned and millions of documents pored over, can take years to conclude anything. Besides, many crucial ­lessons have been learned already.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam says — and we agree — that an inquiry will be vital in due course but “Please, not now. We are far too busy.”

Labour ignore him. They and their allies are simply desperate for a show-trial they hope will damage the Tories.

And, let’s face it, Labour minds are already made up. Deputy leader Angela Rayner now says “100 per cent, Jeremy Corbyn would have done a better job” than Boris Johnson on Covid.

So much for Labour having changed. The hard Left are merely biding their time.

CLEAR THIS UP

ONE dispute does need clarity.

Did Matt Hancock falsely give Boris Johnson the impression early last year that all OAPs were already being tested for Covid before being discharged from hospital into a care home?

Or did he, as he claimed yesterday, just promise it would be done once we had enough tests — our testing capacity back then being minimal?

Dominic Cummings claims the Health Secretary “lied”. But was he just ambiguous? Did Cummings and the PM ­misunderstand him?

It matters, because Boris might have chosen another course had he known tests weren’t being ­carried out, even though hospitals were screaming for beds to be freed up.

Confusion and vague language is ­forgivable in the heat of battle.

Misleading the PM is not.

WEB OF HATE

BRITAIN is not a racist country, the ­Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities concluded.

But social media, for all its positives, is so often a cesspit where the vilest individuals congregate to spew their hate.

Marcus Rashford, like other black Man Utd stars, fell victim to yet more racist abuse on Wednesday. A teacher — a TEACHER — sent him monkey emojis.

Meanwhile prominent British Jews receive a daily torrent of anti-Semitism, mainly from the political Left and some of it praising the Holocaust.

Facebook and Twitter have billions in the bank and the finest tech minds.

They have no excuses left for continuing to give these creatures a platform.