The Covid inquiry has so far been a damning spectacle, reinforcing everyone’s worst suspicions about the government response to the pandemic. It has revealed a horrible swirl of bad decisions, relentless infighting and a callous lack of empathy. But, through it all, there has been one true victim of the inquiry. One figure whose name has been needlessly besmirched time and time again, by almost everyone in government. One figure whose reputation is now in tatters thanks to a number of cruel and potentially defamatory comparisons. This figure is, of course, the shopping trolley.
While giving evidence to the inquiry yesterday, Dominic Cummings declared that Boris Johnson was so indecisive and susceptible to outside advice that he would often change direction on his policies without warning. This led to him being given the nickname “the Trolley”, not only by Cummings but also by Johnson’s cabinet secretary and director of communications. The nickname stuck so fast that officials would refer to Johnson in texts by simply posting an emoji of a trolley.
