Covid inquiry live: Priti Patel admits policing of Sarah Everard vigil was ‘totally inappropriate’
Ex-home secretary says police generally struck right balance between protest and Covid restrictions
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Dame Priti Patel has admitted to the Covid inquiry that the policing of a vigil for murdered marketing executive Sarah Everard was “totally inappropriate”.
The former home secretary said she was “dismayed” by the policing of the vigil in early 2021. The Metropolitan Police have since apologised and paid damages to two of those who were arrested.
However, Dame Priti said she felt the police generally struck the right balance between enforcing coronavirus restrictions and upholding people’s right to protest – despite such matters feeling “uncomfortable” at the time.
Earlier today, former top police chief Martin Hewitt criticised localised Covid rules, the speed at which they changed, and the tier system of different regulations for different areas of the country.
He told the inquiry that localised tiers made it “incredibly difficult for even a perfectly law-abiding and committed citizen to understand precisely what that meant for them in their own personal circumstances”, while having different regulations “on opposite sides of the same road” made policing more difficult.
Jun Pang, the policy and campaigns officer at Liberty, is also giving evidence to the inquiry.
Pinned post: Covid inquiry continues
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Covid inquiry.
Lee Cain, former director of communications and Dominic Cummings, ex-chief of staff - two of Boris Johnson’s closest aides - are due to give evidence today.
Yesterday saw Martin Reynolds, the former principal private secretary and Imran Sahfi, the private secretary for public services, appear before the inquiry.
Here is a summary of the evidence given on Monday:
Boris flip-flopping’ made it ‘impossible’ to tackle Covid, advisers’ messages reveal
Cabinet secretary warned that Johnson ‘cannot lead’ during crisis – as ex-No 10 aide admits he ‘disappeared’ WhatsApp messages
Watch: NHS left unprotected during pandemic, says Shafi
‘We have a weak and indecisive prime minister'
Lead counsel Hugo Keith KC referred to comments previously heard by the Covid inquiry describing Mr Johnson’s “ridiculous flip-flopping” - a note from former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance - and the Government looking like a “terrible, tragic joke”, a comment made by the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.
Another read “we have a weak and indecisive prime minister”, although it was not stated who had made that comment.
Mr Keith put it to Mr Johnson’s former principal private secretary Martin Reynolds: “In the face of a viral pandemic, if those views are right, that was a deeply unfortunate position to be in, was it not?”
Mr Reynolds replied: “Yes.”
The country was in a “deeply unfortunate position” when the pandemic hit, with a “weak and indecisive prime minister” in charge, the Covid inquiry has heard.
Ex-No10 chief admits he ‘disappeared’ messages in PM’s group chat
One of Boris Johnson’s key aides turned messages to “disappear” in a key Covid WhatsApp group only weeks after the ex-PM promised a Covid public inquiry, it has been revealed.
Martin Reynolds was grilled about switching the function to delete messages in the then-PM’s group April 2021 – just after Mr Johnson announced an inquiry – as he gave evidence on Monday.
Mr Reynolds, Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary, told the inquiry he “cannot recall exactly why I did so” – before adding that he did not believe it was to “prevent” the inquiry having access to the messages.
Adam Forrest, Political Correspondent reports:
Ex-No10 chief admits he ‘disappeared’ messages in PM’s WhatsApps group chat
Boris Johnson’s former aide ‘Party Marty’ sorry for ‘bring your own booze’ event – and says he ‘cannot recall’ why he set messages to delete weeks after the Covid inquiry announced
I’ve retained my WhatsApp messages relating to Covid pandemic, says Humza Yousaf
Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf has said he has not deleted WhatsApp messages relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, following press reports his predecessor and senior officials may have.
Last week a note to the chairman of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry from one of its counsels said the inquiry was of the belief that the “majority” of informal messages, including on WhatsApp had “not been retained”.
The First Minister said on Monday he had retained his messages, but that there had been a Scottish government policy on social media messaging which advised their deletion after 30 days.
I’ve retained my WhatsApp messages relating to Covid pandemic, says Humza Yousaf
First Minister says he would expect officials to have kept ‘relevant’ messages
Women staff were being ‘talked over and ignored’, report into No 10 culture during pandemic finds
An internal report into the culture at the top of government in the early months of the pandemic found that women staff were being “talked over and ignored” and “bad behaviours” were being tolerated from senior leaders.
The report, by former top aide Martin Reynolds and then deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara, was written in May 2020 amid concerns about discipline, “macho behaviour” and misogyny, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry heard yesterday.
Released as part of a batch of documents relevant to the inquiry, the report asked more than 45 people who worked closely with No 10 what could be done to better support the prime minister in May 2020.
Women staff were being ‘talked over and ignored’, UK Covid report finds
Report written in May 2020 amid concerns about discipline, ‘macho behaviour’ and misogyny, UK Covid-19 Inquiry hears
Watch: Johnson stressed ‘need to avoid overreaction’ at start of pandemic
‘High degree of dysfunctionality’ dealing with Johnson, says Shafi
The former private secretary to the prime minister for public services, Imran Shafi, told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry there was a "high degree of dysfunctionality" when dealing with the then-PM Boris Johnson.
Counsel to the inquiry Hugo Keith KC asked the witness: "The material may suggest there were a number of competing power sources in Downing Street, personality clashes, and we can see... a high degree of dysfunctionality in terms of dealing with the prime minister - would you agree?"
Mr Shafi replied: "Yes."
Mr Keith continued: "None of that leant itself well to the best sort of decision-making did it?"
Mr Shafi said: "No."
The ‘wrecked’ lives of forgotten long Covid sufferers
Nearly four years since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, you could be forgiven for believing the pandemic is behind us. But for many, it feels far from over.
Close to two million people face a daily battle with debilitating symptoms of long Covid – the lasting symptoms of the virus that remain after the infection is gone – with some now housebound, unable to walk and even partially blind.
Alan Chambers, 49, and Allan Reeling, 76, are among those who have been grappling with the illness for years, having caught coronavirus in March 2020, two months after the UK’s first two patients tested positive for the virus.
Read more here:
Long Covid: The ‘wrecked’ lives of forgotten sufferers
Long Covid has over 200 symptoms, for many sufferers the pandemic is far from over
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments