Sunak defended his findings during the “Covid-19” outbreak.
On Monday, a British commission of inquiry heard from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about the handling of the Covid-19 crisis, at a time when some decisions faced criticism for allegedly contributing to the spread of the virus.
Sunak’s testimony, which deliberately downplayed his role in the movement of the then-ruling government, comes ahead of a crucial vote at a time when his power within the Conservative Party is being undermined. His new plan to deport migrants to Rwanda, drawn up by the right wing of the Conservative Party, is the weakest.
Sunak, who was finance minister when the coronavirus spread, was questioned days after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized to the families of those affected by the virus and admitted he should have realized the severity of the crisis “much earlier”.
Sunak began his testimony by apologizing, saying, “I am deeply sorry for everyone who has lost loved ones and family members and for everyone who has been affected in different ways throughout the pandemic.”
The pandemic claimed the lives of more than 230,000 people in the United Kingdom, and a commission of inquiry is currently examining British administration and political governance during the outbreak of the virus.
Rishi Sunak, who has been in his Downing Street post for more than a year, was questioned about his reluctance to impose stricter restrictions during the pandemic and his criticism of the role of scientists during the health crisis.
But he insisted from the start of his testimony that the decision-maker was Boris Johnson and that his role as former Chancellor of the Exchequer was to provide information on the economic consequences of anticipated measures.
He denied that there was a “conflict between the public health and economic sectors”: “There are a certain number of consequences, many socio-economic consequences and consequences for education, mental health and the judicial system. Purely economic consequences,” it is important for public authorities to analyze everything.
The former president was also criticized for measures taken in the summer of 2020 to encourage restaurant-hopping, such as the “eat out to help” scheme, which was criticized by the government’s scientific advisers.
These advisers confirmed to the inquiry that the system contributed to the scale of the second epidemic wave in the fall of 2020.
The UK’s chief medical officer, Chris Witty, has renamed the organization set up by Sunak to support the hospitality and restaurant industry, “Eat Out to Stop the Virus”.
Some advisers say Sunak, determined to support a British economy weary of restrictions, ignored or downplayed the advice of scientists during the pandemic.
This is evident in a memo written by the government’s former science adviser, Patrick Vallance, in which he relayed comments from the prime minister’s former chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, in which he confirmed that Sunak “believes we can allow”. People die, it doesn’t matter.
In August 2022, in the midst of his campaign to succeed Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party, Sunak spoke of the “problem” of empowering scientists in an interview with the weekly “The Spectator”.
The work of the independent commission of inquiry, led by former judge Heather Hallett, is expected to continue until 2026.
In the first phase, the panel looked at the UK’s preparations to tackle the health crisis. After its current study on the political management of the crisis, it will look at the impact of the spread of “Covid-19” on the health system, the vaccination program and the distribution of necessary equipment to the population.
Downing Street found at the time that these elements had “nothing to do with the work” carried out by the inquiry team, but the Department of Justice ruled otherwise and ordered the British government to hand over the documents.
Conservative newspapers, usually hostile to quarantine periods imposed during pandemics, criticized the work of the inquiry committee.
The Sunday Times newspaper said on Sunday that the inquiry made “noise” but “masked the real problem”, which is represented by the impact of long-term imprisonment on Britain’s mental health, education and employment.
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