All eyes will be on Boris Johnson for the next few days as the Covid public inquiry will see several of his former aides answering questions about his approach to the pandemic while in office. Although Boris faced a lot of criticism at the time, his reputation has remained good enough for him to secure two new positions recently.
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He has been appointed to the advisory board of the International Democracy Union (IDU), a global centre-right group whose stated mission is the promotion of ‘democracy and centre-right policies around the globe’. More recently, on October 27, it was announced on X that Boris Johnson would be a presenter on GB News.However, this week may see his successes tarnished somewhat by his past behaviour as prime minister.
Who will speak
The former PM’s ally-turned-enemy Dominic Cummings is one person who will likely throw Boris under the bus. Cummings, the former chief of staff, will be grilled on Halloween over decisions made at 10 Downing Street during the pandemic. Cummings has already spoken publicly about how Boris didn’t take Covid seriously and would change his mind several times a day on the matter.
Cummings himself made a few blunders at the time. He travelled to Barnald Castle in County Durham in 2020 while he had Covid, and claimed it was to get his eyesight tested. This excuse was much ridiculed and Cummings himself has said he made a ‘terrible mistake’ in breaking the rules. Now, it seems he is intent on having Boris own up to his share of mistakes.
Before Cummings, Martin Reynolds is expected to give evidence today, on Monday 30 October. The then-principal private secretary was nicknamed ‘Party Marty’ after issuing a particularly brazen bring your own booze (BYOB) garden party invitation to staff.
Was Boris Johson’s current wife ‘the real person in charge’?
Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates has said that what happens ‘this week really matters’, especially because some of the people being looked into are still in government. Namely, the cabinet secretary, Simon Case. Coates explained how Case claimed that Carrie, Boris’ partner at the time, was really the one pulling the strings:
We're going to see more WhatsApp messages between him and those two key political advisers, Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings, which basically tell a story of how, at the height of the pandemic when there was chaos through 2020, you had these two key figures along with the cabinet secretary complaining about and to some degree working against the prime minister who employs all three of them.
Some WhatsApp messages have already been shared with the public. The following exchange between Lee Cain, formerly Downing Street’s Director of Communication, and Simon Case has caused a lot of controversy. Mr Case wrote:
I was always told that Dom [Dominic Cumming] was the secret PM. How wrong they are. I look forward to telling select cttee tomorrow - 'oh, f*** no, don't worry about Dom, the real person in charge is Carrie'.
Mr Cain added: ‘Also she doesn't know wtf she is talking about either. Jesus.’
Carrie Johnson is now married to Boris, and they welcomed their third child together this summer. Boris is expected to appear before the inquiry in December, as is Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - who recently came under fire after supplying a very convenient excuse for not being able to hand over his own WhatsApp messages from this time.
Boris Johnson is no stranger to controversy, but this week looks like it will be a challenge for the former PM.
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Sources used:
Sky News: Dominic Cummings set to dish dirt on Boris Johnson at COVID inquiry
Sky News: COVID inquiry: Boris Johnson's wife, Carrie, was 'real person in charge', says Whitehall chief in WhatsApp message
Independent: Bombshell week for Boris Johnson as former team prepare for Covid Inquiry
