The lengthy testimony of Dominic Cummings provides an interesting challenge

Seven hours of testimony – with the fallout set to last much, much longer – was the extent of Dominic Cummings’s appearance in front of MPs to talk about the government’s Covid-19 response.

He didn’t pull any punches – and neither have readers in response to what the prime minister’s former chief adviser said. Many have expressed outrage at the picture that Cummings painted of the workings of government, while others have questioned Cummings’s motives in only coming forward now.

The mammoth session of evidence provided an interesting challenge to the Voices section as well – there were so many elements across the day that it required a flexible approach. From the early-morning piece, to an update after an extraordinary start to testimony and then an afternoon sketch – before the wrap-up piece once Cummings had finished. We knew that the session would provoke a strong reader reaction, so making sure we provided analysis across the day was important.

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, having received plenty of harsh words from Cummings, stood up in the Commons on Thursday and said that the government had been “straight with people” and “straight with this House” about dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and that “there unprecedented difficulties that came with preparation for an unprecedented event”.

Readers would likely not argue with the “unprecedented event” language – but some will disagree with the way the government handled preparation.

With Labour suggesting that Hancock should no longer be health secretary, and Michael Gove saying that “the [Covid-19] inquiry ... is the right place to review” the questions Cummings has raised, this issue will not fade into the background quickly.

We will be there to provide you with all the latest news and analysis – and I’m sure you will let us know your feelings about the reaction to Cummings’s testimony and where it leaves the government.

Yours,

Chris Stevenson

Voices editor