UK’s COVID Inquiry Becomes Political Circus
The UK’s inquiry into the handling of COVID-19 has become a political circus that could hurt both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. The inquiry began taking evidence on Tuesday, and for weeks, it had been overshadowed by a series of spats between Sunak, the current prime minister, and Johnson, who resigned in disgrace last summer.
Legal Action Over Personal Information
Sunak and his government are legally challenging the inquiry’s right to request personal information from people who were directly involved in decision-making during the pandemic. That means anything from private WhatsApp messages to private diaries. The government wants to block this because it could set a precedent where information that isn’t relevant could enter the public domain, which could have an adverse effect on the way that people making decisions communicate during a crisis. Johnson undercut Sunak by directly handing his own information to the inquiry.
Infamous Partygate Scandal
The committee is investigating whether Johnson knowingly misled lawmakers when he said that during the pandemic, all of the rules in place were observed at all times. This is the infamous Partygate scandal, which led to Johnson being fined by police for breaking COVID-19 rules. Sunak was also fined for the same incident. Johnson initially told Parliament that all rules were followed at all times, even after it became clear that this wasn’t true. The committee disagreed, recommending that Johnson should be suspended from Parliament for 90 days and not be allowed a pass back into the building.
Johnson Resigns
Having seen the report ahead of its publication, Johnson resigned as a member of Parliament and continued to accuse the committee of being politically motivated. He still protests his innocence and has called the committee “beneath contempt.” While Johnson has ostensibly resigned over the committee’s report, it was expected that Johnson might resign after Sunak rejected certain people that Johnson wanted to elevate to the UK’s upper parliamentary chamber, the House of Lords.
Potential for Damage
The inquiry could shine an unflattering spotlight on what happened after the first wave of COVID-19 hit the UK, potentially causing them both enormous damage in the eyes of the public. The inquiry could focus on whether or not encouraging such mixing led to the virus spreading further, as well as the way in which procurement contracts were handed to people who have since been found to have links to the Conservative Party.
Concerns for the Inquiry
Most people who worked in government during the pandemic are worried about what unvarnished records of conversations will look like to the public. Others are worried that the true level of chaos inside Downing Street will cause embarrassment for everyone involved, rather than just those in charge. One senior government official at the time described how teams deliberately tried to keep their work away from Johnson, who was often erratic and would get in the way of what they were doing.
Human Tragedies
The inquiry will put the people who led the country at the time under fresh scrutiny. It’s possible much of what comes out will be embarrassing, which minimizes the human tragedies at the center of this story. The political drama has made the grieving process even harder for those who lost loved ones to COVID-19. The bereaved have a particular insight, and it’s important that the inquiry does not lose sight of the human cost of the pandemic.
Original Story at www.cnn.com – 2023-06-17 08:24:00