Boris Johnson has been ‘rattled’ by the evidence given by Dominic Cummings into his handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, Sir Keir Starmer has told MPs.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir pointed out that Johnson denied the cabinet secretary told him to fire the health secretary for lying but had not denied the other claims put forward by his former senior adviser.
He said: “One of the most serious points made this morning is that the prime minister failed to recognise the severity of this virus until it was too late, dismissing it as – quote from this morning – another scare story like the swine flu.
“Does the prime minister recognise that account of his own behaviour and, if so, will he apologise for being so complacent about the threat that this virus posed?”
Responding, Johnson said: “I don’t think anybody could credibly accuse this government of being complacent about the threat that this virus posed at any point.
“We have worked flat out to minimise loss of life, to protect the NHS, while they have flip-flopped from one position to another.
“Backing curfew one day, opposing it the next, backing lockdowns one day, opposing the next calling for tougher border controls one day, then saying that quarantine is a blunt instrument.“
He added: “We have got on with protecting the people of this country from one of the worst pandemics in living memory. We have turned the corner and it is no thanks to the loyal opposition.”
But the leader of the opposition pointed out that his response showed that Johnson had been rattled by the evidence.
He continued: “Mr Speaker, I can see the evidence from his former adviser is really getting to the prime minister this morning in that response.”
He added: “There’s a pattern of behaviour here, there was clearly a lack of planning, poor decision-making and a lack of transparency, and a prime minister who was absent from the key decisions, including five early Cobra meetings and who was, to quote his former adviser, 1000% too obsessed with the media.”
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford continued the line of questioning, saying the evidence presented by Cummings suggested Johnson was a “negligent prime minister more concerned with his own self-interest than the interests of the United Kingdom”.
He went on: “When people were dying, the United Kingdom government was considering chickenpox parties and joking about injecting the prime minister with Covid live on TV. We had a circus act when we needed serious government.
“Isn’t it the case that when the country needed leadership most, the prime minister was missing in action? Thousands have paid the ultimate price for his failure.”
The PM, in his reply, said he took “full responsibility for everything the government did and will continue to do so.”
He highlighted the independent public inquiry in a bid to find answers for the public, adding: “I don’t recognise the events he describes.”
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