Boris Johnson’s ex-communications chief has branded Rishi Sunak a “Covid revisionist” after the former Chancellor said it was a “mistake” to empower scientists during the pandemic.
Lee Cain said the former Chancellor and Tory leadership hopeful was attempting to “rewrite history” after he claimed last week that he had been a lone voice of resistance in Government to lockdown measures.
In an interview with The Spectator, published last week, Mr Sunak criticised the decision to close schools during the pandemic and alleged that the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) had edited its minutes to hide dissenting opinions.
Responding to the claims in a letter to the magazine on Thursday, Mr Cain said ministers and scientists had “agonised” over whether to impose a lockdown and denied it was an “easy decision”.
“As the pandemic fades into our collective memory – and critics try to rewrite history – it’s clear that the biggest mistake we made was not locking down but doing so too late,” he wrote.
Mr Cain resigned from the Government in November 2020 amid reports of infighting in No10. His departure came shortly before Mr Johnson’s chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, also left Downing Street.
He denied the societal and economic impacts of lockdown were not discussed by ministers and scientists, saying the trade-offs were “highlighted daily by Professor Chris Whitty in our morning Covid meetings”.
Mr Cain added: “We believed that – morally, politically and practically – lockdown was the right thing to do. Yes, it was a flawed, blunt tool, but it was the best one we had in a very limited toolbox.
“We desperately needed more time to improve NHS capacity, buy more ventilators, develop drugs, purchase PPE. And, of course, create a Covid vaccine.
“It wasn’t these actions we should regret – it was the weeks wasted by a government too pusillanimous to act.”
Mr Johnson’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings last week said Mr Sunak’s comments were “dangerous rubbish” and heaped unfair blame on Mr Johnson and others.
A No10 spokesman said: “At every point, ministers made collective decisions which considered a wide range of expert advice available at the time in order to protect public health.”
Prof Graham Medley, a member of Sage, said: “Government have the power, so if one member of Cabinet thinks that scientific advice was too ‘empowered’ then it is a criticism of their colleagues rather than the scientists.
“The Sage meetings were about the science, not the policy options, and the minutes reflect the scientific consensus at the time.”
