Prominent scientists have expressed concerns about the integrity of the Covid Inquiry following testimony from former senior adviser to the prime minister, Dominic Cummings. Cummings claimed that senior officials in No. 10 were deeply worried about corrupt payments made to newspapers during the pandemic. He expressed disappointment at the lack of media coverage on this issue. Despite his assertions, mainstream media outlets have remained silent. This has raised questions about transparency during the pandemic and has put the Covid Inquiry itself under scrutiny.
Scientists Professor Carl Heneghan and Dr. Tom Jefferson, who have been critics of lockdown measures, have also raised concerns about the fairness of the Covid Inquiry. They believe that the inquiry has shown bias and a lack of interest in examining the consequences of lockdowns. During Heneghan’s testimony, he faced tough questioning from the chairman who dismissed his opinions as insufficient evidence. Both scientists accused the inquiry’s chair, Lady Hallett, of undermining public confidence and subjecting Heneghan to a “character assassination.” They expressed their concerns in a letter to Lady Hallett, stating that the differential treatment damages public confidence and biases the inquiry’s findings.
During his testimony, Cummings described the government’s response to the pandemic as a “meltdown of the British state.” He criticized the dysfunctional system and Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s indecisiveness, which contributed to delays in the response efforts. Diary entries from Sir Patrick Vallance, the former government chief scientific adviser, revealed Johnson’s focus on prioritizing economic concerns and the younger population while allowing older people to “accept their fate.”
Cummings also highlighted the chaotic state of the Cabinet Office and the lack of planning for vulnerable groups like ethnic minorities and domestic abuse victims. One significant criticism was the absence of a shielding plan in March 2020 due to opposition from the Cabinet Office.
Sir Patrick Vallance described the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) as “ungovernable” and an “operational mess” in his diary entries, according to the inquiry’s lead counsel. His notes detailed concerns about the department’s chaos, operational inefficiency, and lack of control.
The Covid Inquiry is ongoing and aims to uncover the internal challenges and decision-making processes that hindered the UK’s pandemic response.