Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Matt Mathers,Archie Mitchell and Andy Gregory

Covid inquiry live: MacNamara says Johnson failed to stop Cummings’ ‘misogynistic’ behavior

BBC News

Covid inquiry roundup: Lee Cain and Dominic Cummings provide worrying insight into No 10

Ex-health secretary Matt Hancock believed that he – rather than doctors or the public – should decide “who should live and who should die” if hospitals became overwhelmed with Covid patients, the former NHS chief executive has said.

Lord Simon Stevens said that “fortunately this horrible dilemma never crystallised”, as he told the Covid inquiry on Thursday that it would have to look “very carefully” at the issue of asymptomatic Covid patients being discharged from hospitals into care homes.

It comes a day after former top civil servant and ethics chief Helen MacNamara said the “female perspective” was missed during the pandemic as she condemned a “toxic” and “macho” culture at the highest levels of Mr Johnson’s government.

Ms MacNamara also said she was “disappointed” that Mr Johnson had not called out an expletive-laden message written about her by Dominic Cummings.

On Tuesday, Mr Cummings apologised for the language used in a series of foul-mouthed messages criticising members of the government – including the one referred to by Ms MacNamara – but denied misogyny, saying he had been “much ruder” about the men.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.