Rishi Sunak pushed hard for lifting of Covid rules, inquiry hears

Sajid Javid said in his witness statement to the inquiry that he felt in February 2020 that Boris Johnson was ‘not in charge’ of the government. Photograph: PA

Rishi Sunak pushed “very hard” for a lifting of all lockdown restrictions during a meeting in July 2021 where Boris Johnson referred to people as “malingering” and “workshy”, the Covid inquiry has heard.

The then chancellor and prime minister were pitted against the “more cautious” approach of Michael Gove and Sajid Javid during the meeting, which took place when Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions were rising, according to a diary entry by the then chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.