DAVID CHURCHILL on Boris Johnson's long-awaited Covid Inquiry showdown

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

45% : The former Prime Minister replied: 'I was aware, yes certainly, that the [health department] was under fire from loads of people, but that was hardly surprising because the country was going through a horrific pandemic...'You've got a lot of talented, ­confident, sometimes egotistical people crushed with anxiety about what's going on in their country, racked secretly with self-doubt and self-criticism, and who ­externalise that by criticising others and it's human nature...Mr Johnson used his evidence ­session to defend keeping the then Health Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured)'My judgement was that Matt was on the whole doing a good job in very difficult circumstances and there was no advantage in moving him.'Pressed by Mr Keith on why he didn't 'take a grip' of the situation by taking action to address the concerns raised, Mr Johnson ­reiterated: 'He was extremelyable, he was on top of thesubject and whatever hisfailings may or may not have been, I didn't see any advantage tothe country at a ­critical time in moving him in exchange for someone else.'
30% : A key figure has been Dominic Cummings, Johnson's former and now-estranged chief adviser who was accused in October of ­'aggressive, foul-mouthed and misogynistic' abuse towards ­others in government.

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