Ex-PM Johnson defends decision to delay Covid lockdown

LONDON: Former prime minister Boris Johnson on Thursday defended his decision to delay a national lockdown during the UK´s second wave of Covid, as he faced a second day of questioning at a public inquiry.

Johnson also defended his use of the phrase “let it rip” during meetings when referring to a potential strategy of allowing the virus spread naturally through the population. The former UK leader has faced a barrage of criticism from ex-aides for alleged indecisiveness and lack of scientific understanding during the pandemic.

Under questioning by inquiry counsel Hugo Keith about why he favoured a regional system of restrictions rather than a nationwide “circuit-breaker” lockdown as infection levels rose in October 2020, Johnson said “there were question marks” about how effective it would be.

“The virus was not evenly distributed across the country and that´s the key thing,” he said. “Circuit breakers is a glib phrase, it actually means an immensely difficult, costly exercise which falls hardest on the poorest and neediest in society,” he added.

He claimed the regional approach had helped bring down infection rates, but that the arrival of the so-called Alpha variant shortly afterwards demanded further national lockdowns.

On his first day of evidence, Johnson apologised for “the pain and the loss and the suffering” caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Johnson -- forced from office last year over Covid lockdown-breaching parties held in Downing Street -- accepted “mistakes” had “unquestionably” been made but repeatedly insisted he and officials did their “level best”.

Keith also quizzed the former leader about his use of the phrase “let it rip” in meetings, as documented by senior scientists present at the time.