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GuardianNov 26, 2022
UK COVID Inquiry: Sunak Reportedly Said to 'Let People Die'
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The Facts
According to the diary of former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, former chief of staff Dominic Cummings had heard then-Chancellor and current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak say it was acceptable for the UK government to just "let people die" during the pandemic.
In what Sir Vallance's diary described as a "shambolic" day, Sunak's alleged comments on Oct. 25, 2020, were accompanied by the allegation that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson argued in favor of "letting it all rip" and said that citizens who would die as a consequence had already had "a good innings."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The consistent attack on the former chancellor and his lockdown policies forgets the human challenges in efforts to tackle the COVID pandemic. It shouldn't be a surprise that, especially within the Treasury, politicians were butting heads with a scientific team that many across the UK and within Westminster had already lost faith in. As many acted recognizing that the purpose of governance at the time was wider than simply shielding adults from the outside world, individuals shouldn't be retrospectively scorned for their attempts to return the majority of the population's life to normal.
Establishment-critical narrative
Sir Vallance's contributions to the COVID inquiry are a hard listen, and only reaffirm that the complete lack of trust the UK currently holds in its political institutions is justified. If another pandemic occurred tomorrow, the Tory government would undoubtedly be just as disastrous at dealing with it as in 2020. Reforming Westminster to ensure the British population is governed by politicians committed to public service is an immediate priority for the UK.
