COVID-19 inquiry: Dominic Cummings set to give evidence amid Barnard Castle protest

Published

1 year ago

October 31, 2023

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The number of people who died from COVID-19 in the UK has been projected onto the walls of Barnard Castle – the evening before Dominic Cummings was set to give evidence to the official inquiry into the virus and how the UK government handled it.

A message saying “231,332 COVID deaths – is that clear enough to read?” on the notorious fortification was organised by campaign group 38 Degrees and COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK.

Mr Cummings, who famously claimed he drove to the castle to test his eyesight while the UK was still under restrictions, is due before Baroness Hallett’s probe later.

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It is not certain when he will be called to give evidence, after Monday’s witnesses overran.

Martin Reynolds – now known as party Marty for his role in the partygate affair – spent hours going over how the government responded to the pandemic.

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He was a senior civil servant under Boris Johnson.

While the inquiry cross-examined him, messages came out which showed current Civil Service head Simon Case saying that Mr Johnson was unfit to lead due to his constant changing of direction.

Mr Case also claimed that government “isn’t actually that hard, but this guy is making it impossible“.

He is set to give evidence himself at some point, and is currently on medical leave from his role in Number 10.

Mr Reynolds – who invited Downing Street staff to a “bring your own booze” party – was supposed to only spend part of the Monday morning evidence session before the inquiry, but he ended up being required until after lunch.

As such, former Downing Street communications director Lee Cain was told he would not be heard from on Monday and instead will speak on Tuesday morning.

Mr Cummings is expected to appear on Tuesday afternoon.

Having worked for Mr Johnson in Downing Street during the pandemic, the preceding election and during the Brexit deadlock, Mr Cummings has since become one of the former prime minister’s harshest critics.

Messages released on Monday show him referring to Mr Johnson as a “trolley” because his tendency to constantly change direction.

Both Mr Cummings and Mr Cain had left Downing Street by the end of 2020, with Mr Cummings claiming that Mr Johnson’s wife had too much power.

Former chancellor George Osborne warned last week that “disgusting and misogynistic” messages from the pandemic were likely to come out this week.

Politics

Minister resigns over cut to international aid budget

Published

3 hours ago

February 28, 2025

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Minister resigns over cut to international aid budget

Anneliese Dodds has quit as international development minister over Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to slash the overseas aid budget to pay for an increase in defence spending.

Ms Dodds, who is also women and equalities minister and attends cabinet, said she was resigning from both posts “with great sadness” but would continue to support the government from the backbenches.

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In her resignation letter to the prime minister, she acknowledged there was “no easy path” to fund the boost to defence but claimed there had been a “tactical decision” for the Overseas Development Aid (ODA) budget to “absorb the entire burden”.

She said: “You have maintained that you want to continue support for Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine; for vaccination; for climate; and for rules-based systems.

“Yet it will be impossible to maintain these priorities given the depth of the cut; the effect will be far greater than presented, even if assumptions made about reducing asylum costs hold true.”

Ms Dodds said the cut will likely lead the UK to pull-out from numerous African, Caribbean and Western Balkan nations, as well as a withdrawal of commitments to international banks and a reduced voice in the G7 and G20.

“Ultimately, these cuts will remove food and healthcare from desperate people – deeply harming the UK’s reputation,” she added.

“I know you have been clear that you are not ideologically opposed to international development. But the reality is that this decision is already being portrayed as following in President Trump’s slipstream of cuts to USAID.”

Around £6bn per year will be taken out of the aid budget and transferred over to pay for defence.

That amounts to a reduction in aid spending from 0.5% of GDP to 0.3%.

In a letter responding to Ms Dodd’s resignation, Sir Keir said the decision to cut foreign aid “was a difficult and painful decision and not one I take lightly”.

“However, protecting our national security must always be the first duty of any government and I will always act in the best interests of the British people,” he said.

The resignation comes after a key meeting between Sir Keir and Mr Trump on Thursday, during which the US leader praised the defence sending decision and also touted the prospect of a tariff-free trade deal.

Ms Dodds marks the loss of a fourth minister from the new Labour government, after Louise Haigh and Tulip Siddiq resigned and Andrew Gwynne was sacked.

Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell, who was the international development minister under Rishi Sunak, said Ms Dodds had “done the right thing”.

He posted on X: “Labour’s disgraceful and cynical actions demean the Labour Party’s reputation as they balance the books on the backs of the poorest people in the world. Shame on them and kudos to a politician of decency and principle.”

Resignation of Dodds shows Starmer’s ruthless side

Liz Bates

Political correspondent

@wizbates

She was one of his closest allies, but today Anneliese Dodds has quit Keir Starmer’s government with a stark warning about the direction of travel.

It’s been quite a journey since she got the top job in his opposition cabinet.

When he took over as Labour leader, she was appointed shadow chancellor and seen as a key player in his team.

Since that time, Starmer has shown himself to be a pragmatic, sometimes ruthless, operator when it comes to both policy and political friendships.

This resignation once again shows that side.

Not only is he pushing through deep cuts to foreign aid – a move he previously condemned – but in doing so, he has also cast aside one of his most loyal and long-standing colleagues.

Former Tory defence minister Tobias Ellwood also praised the decision as “courageous and principled”, saying that national security is “not just about hard power” but tackling threats like disease and extremism.

However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch backed Sir Keir’s decision.

She said: “I disagree with the PM on many things BUT on reducing the foreign aid budget to fund UK defence? He’s absolutely right.

“He may not be able to convince the ministers in his own cabinet, but on this subject, I will back him.

“National interest always comes first.”

Sir Keir announced the decision to cut the aid budget on Tuesday, saying it would fund and increase defence spending from 2.3% of GDP to 2.5% in 2027. Labour’s manifesto had pledged to reach this target but it was not clear when that would be achieved or how it would be funded.

The prime minister admitted the inauguration of Mr Trump – who has made clear he no longer wants to bankroll NATO’s defence- “accelerated” his decision but said it had been three years in the making, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

He said the reduction in foreign aid is “not a renouncement I’m happy to make”.

Asked about it during the Convention of the North conference, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said: “I’m sorry to hear she’s resigned, it was a really difficult decision that was made.”

However, she said it was “absolutely right” that the cabinet endorse the prime minister’s actions to spend more money on defence.