Closing summary
That’s all from us for today, we’re closing this blog now. Here’s a summary of the main developments from Boris Johnson at the Covid-19 inquiry:
Former prime minister Boris Johnson told the Covid inquiry that children paid “a huge, huge price to protect the rest of society” when schools were closed to prevent the spread of the virus. He added: “It was an awful, awful thing. As I said, I wish it had been otherwise. I wish we could have found another solution.”
He also added that the way of adjudicating exam results in England in the summer of 2020 “let kids down” and “must have been bitterly disappointing to students”.
A central theme of Johnson’s evidence was conflict with the then-education secretary Gavin Williamson. Williamson claimed in his earlier evidence to the inquiry that he was finding out about decisions on school closures rather than him and the department being involved, and that Johnson’s decisions and announcements were eroding trust between schools and the Department for Education. Johnson said of Williamson’s evidence: “I’m afraid I don’t remember the details of that.”
Johnson did, however, describe the work of Williamson and the DfE during the pandemic as “heroic”. The Lib Dems said this description was “embarrassing” and “an insult to the true heroes of the Covid pandemic: the teachers and doctors, nurses and key workers who put their lives on the line to keep crucial public services going”.
In response to Johnson’s evidence, and that of former ministers, Save the Children said: “Evidence to this inquiry has clearly shown that consideration of children’s rights was absent from decision-making. There was no clear mechanism to protect their interests, and no voice for them in the room.”
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Boris Johnson has now left the Covid inquiry:
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