Rishi Sunak’s COVID-19 Controversy Alleged Advocacy for Casualties
Inquiry into Britain’s handling of COVID-19 pandemic reveals UK PM’s “complete lack of leadership” over concerning quote
A recent inquiry into Britain’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered a troubling statement from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, according to the Times of India.
Patrick Vallance, the former chief scientific adviser to the government, reported that during a meeting with then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, then-Finance Minister Sunak suggested that the government should “just let people die” rather than impose a second national lockdown.
Vallance documented the meeting in his diary on October 25, 2020, which was presented to the inquiry on Monday. The diary also recorded Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s most senior adviser during the pandemic, relaying what he had heard at the meeting.
Vallance quoted Cummings in his diary as saying, “Rishi thinks just let people die, and that’s okay. This all feels like a complete lack of leadership.”
According to a spokesperson for Sunak, the prime minister will present his position when he gives evidence to the inquiry “rather than respond to each one in piecemeal.”
The inquiry, scheduled to run until the summer of 2026, is scrutinizing the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, which shut down significant parts of the economy and claimed over 220,000 lives in Britain, as reported by Reuters.
Senior government officials have repeatedly acknowledged the government’s lack of preparedness for the pandemic, citing a “toxic” and “macho” culture that hindered the response to the health crisis.
For Sunak, the risk lies in evidence at the inquiry undermining his attempt to position himself as a departure from the chaotic leadership of Johnson, even though he held one of the most senior positions in that government.
Previous evidence has revealed that he was labeled “Dr Death” by a government scientific adviser over his “Eat Out to Help Out” policy in the summer of 2020, which subsidized meals in pubs and restaurants but drew criticism from health experts for potentially spreading the virus.
