Mark Sedwill apologises for suggesting ‘chicken pox parties’ for COVID immunity in early stages of pandemic

Published

2 years ago

November 8, 2023

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A former top civil servant has apologised for suggestions he made early in the COVID pandemic that so-called “chicken pox parties” could help people build immunity to the virus.

Lord Mark Sedwill was cabinet secretary when the pandemic started, which means he was also in charge of the Civil Service.

He has been highly criticised by political appointees who were in government at the time – including Dominic Cummings.

Politics latest: Lord Sedwill giving evidence to COVID inquiry

One particular issue has been a suggestion he made early in the pandemic about how people gathering in groups to get COVID might help build immunity in the UK population.

In the past, so-called “chicken pox parties” were sometimes held by parents to expose their children to the contagious infection, in order for them to become immune from it in later life.

Lord Sedwill told the COVID inquiry that his comments comparing chicken pox and COVID were made in private – and he did not make them public.

Mr Cummings revealed his recollection of what Lord Sedwill said in early March 2020 when he appeared before a committee just over a year later.

Speaking to the inquiry, Lord Sedwill said: “These were private exchanges, and I certainly had not expected for this to become public.

“I understand how – in particular, the interpretation that has been put on it – it must have come across as [though] someone in my role was both heartless and thoughtless about this, and I genuinely am neither.

“But I do understand the distress that must have caused, and I apologise for that.”

Mr Cummings told the inquiry that Lord Sedwill told Boris Johnson to “go on TV” and “explain that this is like the old days with chicken pox and people are going to have chicken pox parties”, adding: “The sooner a lot of people get this and get it over with the better, sort of thing.”

Lord Sedwill said he did not believe at the time that the coronavirus was at the same level of danger as chicken pox, and was rather making an allegorical point.

He said he stopped making the comparison when he realised it was unhelpful.

Politics

MP Zarah Sultana who was ousted from Labour announces she is starting new political party with Jeremy Corbyn

Published

4 hours ago

July 3, 2025

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MP Zarah Sultana who was ousted from Labour announces she is starting new political party with Jeremy Corbyn

An MP who was ousted from the Labour Party has announced she is setting up a new political party with Jeremy Corbyn.

Independent MP Zarah Sultana said she and the former Labour leader will co-lead the new party, which she did not provide a name for.

She said other independent MPs, campaigners and activists from across the country will join them, but did not name anyone.

Politics latest: Zarah Sultana’s stinging resignation letter

Ms Sultana also said she was “resigning” from the Labour Party after 14 years.

She was suspended as a Labour MP shortly after they came to power last summer for voting against the government maintaining the two-child benefit cap.

Several others from the left of the party, including Mr Corbyn, were also suspended for voting against the government, and also remained as independent MPs.

However, Ms Sultana was still a member of the Labour Party – until now.

Mr Corbyn has previously said the independent MPs who were suspended from Labour would “come together” to provide an “alternative.

The other four are: Iqbal Mohamed, Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan and Adnan Hussain.

Mr Corbyn and the other four independents have not said if they are part of the new party Ms Sultana announced.

In her announcement, Ms Sultana said she would vote to abolish the two-child benefit cap again and also voted against scrapping the winter fuel payment for most pensioners.

Ms Sultana also voted against the government’s welfare bill this week, which was heavily watered down as Sir Keir Starmer tried to prevent a major rebellion from his own MPs.

On Wednesday, Ms Sultana spoke passionately against Palestine Action being proscribed as a terror organisation – but MPs eventually voted for it to be.

She said to proscribe it is “a deliberate distortion of the law to chill dissent, criminalise solidarity and suppress the truth”.

Ms Sultana said they were founding the new party because “Westminster is broken but the real crisis is deeper – just 50 families now own more wealth than half the UK population”.

She called Reform leader Nigel Farage “a billionaire-backed grifter” leading the polls “because Labour has completely failed to improve people’s lives.

The MP, who has spoken passionately about Gaza, added: “Across the political establishment, from Farage to Starmer, they smear people of conscience trying to stop a genocide in Gaza as terrorists.

“But the truth is clear: this government is an active participant in genocide. And the British people oppose it.

“We are not going to take this anymore.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “In just 12 months, this Labour government has boosted wages, delivered an extra four million NHS appointments, opened 750 free breakfast clubs, secured three trade deals and four interest rate cuts lowering mortgage payments for millions.

“Only Labour can deliver the change needed to renew Britain.”