UK well being minister hits again at former aide over claims he was reckless with COVID-19 response

British well being minister Matt Hancock has hit again at “unsubstantiated allegations” from the prime minister’s former chief aide that he had lied to colleagues and the general public in regards to the authorities’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, stating it was unfaithful. 

Dominic Cummings, who was Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s right-hand man till late final yr, delivered a withering assault on his former boss and Mr Hancock throughout seven hours of testimony earlier than a parliamentary committee on Thursday, saying their ineptitude led to tens of hundreds of pointless deaths.

Mr Johnson, Mr Cummings stated, was unfit for his function, whereas his best criticism was reserved for Mr Hancock who he stated had repeatedly lied to such an extent that the nation’s prime civil servant misplaced confidence in his honesty.

“These allegations that had been put yesterday … are severe allegations and I welcome the chance … to place formally on the report that these unsubstantiated allegations round honesty aren’t true, and that I have been straight with folks in public and in non-public all through,” Mr Hancock instructed parliament.

With virtually 128,000 deaths, the UK has the world’s fifth-highest official COVID-19 toll, far increased than the federal government’s preliminary worst-case estimates of 20,000.

One of the crucial damning allegations from Mr Cummings was that Mr Hancock’s assertion that the federal government had thrown a “protecting ring round” care properties firstly of the pandemic was nonsense, and that as an alternative folks had been despatched again from hospital who had contracted the coronavirus.

The opposition Labour Get together says if he had lied, he ought to lose his job.

“I have been straight with folks in public and in non-public all through,” Mr Hancock stated. “Daily since I started engaged on the response to this pandemic final January, I’ve acquired up every morning and requested, ‘what should I do to guard life’. That’s the job of a well being secretary in a pandemic.”

Politicians from the governing Conservative Get together rallied round Mr Hancock, whereas Jeremy Hunt, a co-chairman of the committee at which Mr Cummings had appeared, stated the allegations from the previous aide needs to be handled as unproven till proof was offered to again them up.

Mr Johnson instructed parliament on Wednesday that no one may credibly accuse him or his authorities of complacency, and that the federal government had at all times sought to minimise lack of life.

“I believe it’s [wrong],” housing minister Robert Jenrick instructed BBC radio when requested in regards to the allegation from Mr Cummings that tens of hundreds of individuals had died unnecessarily.

“No one may doubt for one second that the prime minister was doing something aside from performing with the very best of motives with the knowledge and the recommendation that was out there to him.”