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The UK’s Covid Inquiry has been told that, while he was serving as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said the British government should “just let people die” as arguments raged over a second lockdown.
Sir Patrick Vallance made a note in his diary on October 25,2020, about a “shambolic” meeting with Boris Johnson in which the then Prime Minister argued for “letting it all rip” and the then Chancellor agreed, according to the then chief scientific adviser.
Dominic Cummings, who was at the time Johnson’s most senior adviser, told the meeting: “Rishi says just let people die and that’s okay.”
Sir Patrick said he did not personally hear Sunak express such an opinion, but told the inquiry: “That’s what Dominic Cummings said.”
It represents the most serious accusation levelled at Sunak, the current Prime Minister, in the Inquiry to date.
The inquiry also heard that Sage (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) wanted to exempt children from the “Rule of Six” during the pandemic but that the idea was pushed back by the chief scientific adviser and the Government.
In a diary entry from October 15 2020, Sir Patrick wrote: “Sage pushing for ‘Can’t we exempt children from rule of 6′. We said no, not unless CO (Cabinet Office) want to revisit.”
Downing Street will not say if Sunak said ‘just let people die’
Downing Street declined to say whether Rishi Sunak thought it would be okay to “just let people die” during the pandemic, saying it would be for the Prime Minister to set out his position during evidence before the Covid Inquiry.
“The Prime Minister is due to give evidence before the inquiry at the time of their choosing. That’s when he’ll set out his position,” Sunak’s official spokesman said.
No 10 would not be drawn on whether the PM had consulted scientists on the transmission risk of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme before announcing it.
The Downing Street official said a number of people will be setting out their views of the period, but “rather than respond to each one in piecemeal, it’s right that it is looked at alongside other evidence”.
