What questions could Rishi Sunak face at the COVID inquiry?

Published

1 year ago

December 11, 2023

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After appearances from Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock and a range of Downing Street advisers, it is now time for Rishi Sunak to be questioned at the official COVID inquiry.

We take a look at what questions the prime minister – who served as chancellor throughout the pandemic – is likely to face.

Lockdown timing

Many of the hearings in this section of the inquiry have focused on whether the government locked down the country at the right time – or whether the decision was left too late.

While many of the advisers and ministers have said it was the latter, then prime minister Mr Johnson appeared to stand by his decision to wait – telling the inquiry he “can’t say” whether he would have “gone earlier”.

As a very senior member of the prime minister’s cabinet at the time, Mr Sunak is sure to be asked where he stands on the ongoing debate.

‘Just let people die’

Many who have faced the inquiry have suggested Mr Sunak had an aversion to locking down as he sought to protect the economy and, in turn, the Treasury’s coffers.

His scepticism is said to have grown throughout the crisis, telling one meeting that the government should be “handling the scientists, not the virus” – unbeknownst to him, the scientists were listening in.

But the most graphic allegation around his views came from an entry in the chief scientific adviser’s diary as senior figures discussed heading into a second national lockdown in October 2020.

Sir Patrick Vallance wrote that chief adviser Dominic Cummings claimed “Rishi thinks just let people die and that’s okay”.

We know from his top economic adviser, Clare Lombardelli, that Mr Sunak was told by officials to push back hard against a “catastrophic” circuit breaker in September.

But the now prime minister is sure to be asked about Mr Cummings’s remarks, and whether that is what he believed.

Working environment

Another element highlighted in several of the hearings were claims of a “toxic” culture inside Downing Street during the pandemic.

Deputy cabinet secretary Helen McNamara described the environment as “sexist” and “awful”, telling the inquiry how women were routinely “ignored” and issues that particularly affected them – such as childcare, domestic abuse and access to abortions – were not being considered.

She was also the subject of vitriolic messages from Mr Cummings, who used four-letter words and descriptions of how he wanted to “handcuff” her.

As a part of the top team, Mr Sunak may well be asked what his experience of working in Downing Street was throughout COVID.

Johnson critique

The pandemic prime minister has faced reams of criticism throughout the recent hearings – from being nicknamed a “shopping trolley” due to how much his opinion allegedly veered, through to claims he didn’t even understand the science being put to him.

As his right hand man in Number 11, Mr Sunak is likely to be asked for his opinion on Mr Johnson’s abilities, and his decision-making throughout.

And everyone else has been asked about what they thought of Mr Hancock too, so we can expect to hear Mr Sunak’s conclusions on the work of the then health secretary.

Eat Out to Help Out

This scheme, aimed at helping the hospitality sector recover after being hit hard by lockdowns, is one Mr Sunak has long celebrated.

He said the plan helped save millions of jobs in pubs, restaurants and cafes, as well as enabled people to return to doing the things they loved.

But soon after the scheme ended, studies were linking it to a rise in infections – which ultimately led to more deaths and a further lockdown – and that claim has been repeated at the inquiry.

One of the government’s senior scientific advisers, Professor Dame Angela McLean, even dubbed the chancellor “Dr Death” in messages to a colleague.

It was also revealed by Sir Patrick Vallance that the Treasury announced the scheme without seeking advice from scientists or medical advisers.

So we imagine a strong grilling of Mr Sunak over how he formed the policy, and the impact it had.

Partygate

One of the biggest stories to surface from the pandemic was the numerous lockdown breaking parties that took place in Downing Street.

There was palpable anger from the public as the gatherings began to be revealed, with stories of suitcases full of wine, karaoke machines and staff throwing up on the walls all surfacing.

However, it was a more sedate, albeit still rule-breaking affair – a birthday party for Mr Johnson in the Cabinet Room – that saw both Mr Sunak and his boss receive fixed penalty notices from the police.

The now prime minister has defended himself before, saying he was only in the room as he had arrived early for a meeting – though he did accept and pay the fine.

But having been found to have broken the rules and played a part in this national scandal, he is sure to face questions about it.

Politics

Wes Streeting denies Labour has made ‘mistakes’ with ‘unpopular’ policies despite poor local election results

Published

8 hours ago

May 4, 2025

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Wes Streeting denies Labour has made 'mistakes' with 'unpopular' policies despite poor local election results

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has defended “unpopular” policies such as the cut to the winter fuel allowance despite Labour’s poor performance at the local elections.

Mr Streeting denied the government had made any mistakes when asked whether the policy was partly to blame for the party losing 189 council seats less than a year since the General Election.

Since coming into government last July, Labour has enacted a number of policies that were not in its manifesto.

These include means-testing winter fuel payments for pensioners, increasing employers’ national insurance contributions and slashing £5bn from the welfare bill.

Asked what mistakes his government had made so far that had led to its drubbing at the ballot box, Mr Streeting told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “Well, we will make plenty of mistakes.”

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Pressed again on whether he believed “mistakes” had been made, the health secretary replied: “No. When we made those choices, we knew they would be unpopular. And we knew that they would be opposed.

“The reason we made those choices is because we genuinely believe they’re the right choices to get the country out of the massive hole it was left in. And right across the board. Whether it’s the NHS, whether it’s schools, whether it’s prisons, whether it’s our defence and security, whether it’s crime and policing, there were enormous challenges facing this country when we came in.

“And we’ve had to make big and sometimes unpopular decisions so that we can face those challenges and deal with them. People might thank us if we just kind of go for the easy but we want to make the right choices.”

Some Labour MPs have urged the government to change direction, with one telling Sky News the cut to winter fuel was a “catastrophic error” that must be “remedied” if the party is to see any improvement in public opinion.

Others have warned that in courting Reform voters, the party risks fracturing its coalition of voters on the left who may be tempted by the Liberal Democrats and Green Party.

However, in the aftermath of the local elections, Sir Keir Starmer suggested the poor results meant he needed to go “further and faster” in delivering his existing agenda.

The real victor to emerge from Thursday’s local elections was Reform UK, which won control of 10 councils and picked up 677 council seats largely at the expense of the Conservatives in the south.

However, Reform also won the Runcorn by-election from Labour by just six votes, as well as control of Doncaster Council from Labour – the only local authority it had control of in this set of elections – in a significant win for Nigel Farage and his party.

The Reform UK leader declared that two-party politics was now “finished” and that his party was now the official “opposition” to Labour.

Asked whether the results meant that Labour would now treat Reform as “your most serious opposition”, Mr Streeting said: ” I certainly do treat them as a serious opposition force.”

“As I say, I don’t know whether it will be Reform or the Conservatives that emerge as the main threat,” he added.

“I don’t have a horse in that race, but like alien versus predator, I don’t really want either one to win.”

Tory Party chairman Nigel Huddleston said Reform UK was not just a protest party and that Mr Farage was “a force in British politics”.

He told Trevor Phillips: “But the one thing about Nigel Farage is, and we’re seeing this again and again and again, he is a populist.

“He is increasingly saying everything that anybody wants to hear. He’s trying to be all things to all men.”

“We are establishing ourselves as a credible alternative government based on sound conservative principles and values and our values and our principles, and therefore our policies, will define the future of our party,” he added.

Politics

It is ‘feasible’ Nigel Farage could be the next prime minister, says Kemi Badenoch

Published

11 hours ago

May 4, 2025

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It is 'feasible' Nigel Farage could be the next prime minister, says Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch has admitted it is “feasible” that Nigel Farage could become the next prime minister.

The Tory leader told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme Mr Farage’s party was “expressing the feeling of frustration that a lot of people around the country are feeling” – but added it was her job to “come up with answers and solutions”.

Asked if it was feasible that Mr Farage could be the next prime minister, she cited how Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had won re-election this weekend.

“As I said, anything is feasible,” she said. “Anthony Albanese: people were writing him off. He has just won a landslide, but my job is to make sure that he [Farage] does not become prime minister because he does not have the answers to the problems the country is facing.”

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Asked what Mr Farage was doing right, Ms Badenoch said: “He is expressing the feeling of frustration that a lot of people around the country are feeling.

“But he also doesn’t have a record in government like the two main parties do. Now he’s going to be running some councils. We’ll see how that goes.”

Mr Farage was the undoubted winner of Thursday’s local elections, in which 23 councils were up for grabs.

His party picked up 677 council seats and took control of 10 councils.

By contrast, the Conservatives lost 677 council seats as well as control of 18 councils in what was their worst local elections performance on record.

Mr Farage said the outcome spelt the end of two-party politics and that his party was now the official “opposition” to Labour – with the Tories having been rendered a “waste of space”.

Ms Badenoch said she believed the vote for Mr Farage on Thursday was partly down to “protest” but added: “That doesn’t mean we sit back. We are going to come out fighting.

“We are going to come out with the policies that people want to see, but what we are not going to do is rush out and tell the public things that are not true just so we can win votes.

“This is not about winning elections; this is about fixing our country. Yes, of course, you need to win elections to do that, but you also need a credible plan.”

Conservative co-chairman Nigel Huddleston sought to play down the threat from Reform UK, telling Sky News: “When they’re in a position of delivering things, that’s when the shine comes off.”

He told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “The one thing about Nigel Farage is, and we’re seeing this again and again and again, he is a populist.

“He is increasingly saying everything that anybody wants to hear. He’s trying to be all things to all men.”

Asked whether the results meant that Labour would now treat Reform as “your most serious opposition”, Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Trevor Phillips: ” I certainly do treat them as a serious opposition force.”

“As I say, I don’t know whether it will be Reform or the Conservatives that emerge as the main threat,” he added.

“I don’t have a horse in that race, but like alien versus predator, I don’t really want either one to win.”

Politics

Pro-crypto Democrats pull support for stablecoin bill in last minute

Published

12 hours ago

May 4, 2025

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Pro-crypto Democrats pull support for stablecoin bill in last minute

A group of US Senate Democrats known for supporting the crypto industry have said they would oppose a Republican-led stablecoin bill if it moves forward in its current form.

The move threatens to stall legislation that could establish the first US regulatory framework for stablecoins, according to a May 3 report from Politico.

Per the report, nine Senate Democrats said in a joint statement that the bill “still has numerous issues that must be addressed.” They warned they would not support a procedural vote to advance the legislation unless changes are made.

Among the signatories were Senators Ruben Gallego, Mark Warner, Lisa Blunt Rochester and Andy Kim — all of whom had previously backed the bill when it passed through the Senate Banking Committee in March.

The bill, introduced by Senator Bill Hagerty, is formally known as the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act.

Senate prepares to vote on stablecoin bill

The Senate is expected to begin floor consideration of the bill in the coming days, with the first vote potentially taking place next week.

The bill has been championed by the crypto industry as a landmark step toward regulatory clarity. However, the Democrats’ about-face reflects growing unease within the party.

Although revisions were made to the bill after its committee approval to address Democratic concerns, the lawmakers said the changes fell short. They called for stronger safeguards related to Anti-Money Laundering, national security, foreign issuers, and accountability measures for noncompliant actors.

The statement was also signed by Senators Raphael Warnock, Catherine Cortez Masto, Ben Ray Luján, John Hickenlooper and Adam Schiff.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Senator Angela Alsobrooks were absent from the list, who co-sponsored the bill alongside Hagerty.

Despite their objections, the Democratic senators emphasized their commitment to shaping responsible crypto regulation. They reportedly said they “are eager to continue working with our colleagues to address these issues.”

Crypto needs a stablecoin bill

On April 27, Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, criticized the US Federal Reserve for quietly maintaining a key anti-crypto policy that favors big-bank-issued stablecoins, despite relaxing crypto partnership rules for banks.

Long explained that while the Fed recently rescinded four prior crypto guidelines, a Jan. 27, 2023, statement was left intact in coordination with the Biden administration.

The guidance, according to Long, blocks banks from engaging directly with crypto assets and prohibits them from issuing stablecoins on permissionless blockchains.

However, Long noted that once a federal stablecoin bill becomes law, it could override the Fed’s stance. “Congress should hurry up,” she urged.

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