BORIS Johnson today dodged questions on whether he said that Covid was only killing elderly Brits – but apologised for the UK’s “suffering” during the height of the pandemic.
The PM hit back at PMQs after his ex-aide Dominic Cummings launched an extraordinary broadside at him over his Covid failings.
Boris slapped down claims he’d failed the nation and should have locked down earlier, risking thousands of lives.
Dom accused him of not even having a plan “to bury the bodies” and it was “crackers” Boris ended up as PM as he wasn’t fit for the job.
He told MPs: “I take full responsibility for everything that has happened. I am truly sorry for the suffering the people of this country experiences.
“But the government acted throughout with the intention to save lives, protect the NHS and in accordance with the best scientific advice.”
However, he didn’t answer whether he’d said that only 80s were dying of Covid, as he was reported to have done during deliberations about a second lockdown last autumn.
The top aide said in an explosive evidence session today:
- Boris was warned ‘we’re absolutely f***ed’ in ‘Independence Day’ scenes
- The PM and other top officials were on holiday in February and missed key pandemic prep meetings
- The PM said Covid was just a “scare story” in February and thought it was “just the new swine flu”
- Cummings claimed Boris was going to get Chris Whitty to inject him live on telly with Covid to show it was “nothing to be scared of”
- No10 was distracted in the week of March 12 as Donald Trump wanted the UK to help with a bombing campaign – and Carrie wanted the press office to deal with a story about their dog, Dilyn
- Herd immunity WAS a policy until Friday 13 March when it was abandoned, he said
- It was a “catastrophic mistake” not to make data public because there wasn’t scrutiny of the scientists decisions
- He accused ministers of acting too slowly as they weren’t prepared and had no plans
- ‘Groupthink’ led to delays in lockdown, but he said he “bitterly regrets” not pushing it from the first week of March
- Matt Hancock should have been fired several times for “lying” to officials and obsessing over his “stupid” testing target
Sir Keir Starmer tried to grill the PM today after the bombshell evidence session, but failed to land any killer blows.
The PM said the pandemic was “one of the most difficult things this country’s had to do for a very long time” and said the decision to go into lockdown was “traumatic” for the country and “appallingly difficult to deal with at every stage”.
He hit back at allegations he didn’t do enough during the crucial days in February and March and said: “At every stage I’ve tried to minimise loss of life to save lives, protect the NHS and we have followed the best scientific advice.”
