‘Completely out of touch’: five people hit hard by pandemic on Johnson at Covid inquiry

Restaurateur Mandy Yin says she has blocked the entire period out of her mind because it was so traumatic. Photograph: Katherine Leedale

In his appearance before the Covid inquiry this week, Boris Johnson defended his handling of the pandemic. The former prime minister also expressed surprise that scientists were not consulted about the “eat out to help out” scheme, justified saying that older people should “accept their fate”, and claimed reporting on the Partygate scandal was a “travesty of the truth”.

Here five people whose personal and professional lives were deeply affected by the pandemic share their verdict on his performance.