Boris Johnson and his chief adviser reinforced a "toxic and chaotic culture" in Downing Street that undermined efforts to deal with the pandemic, the Covid Inquiry has found.
Baroness Heather Hallett's report on the response to Covid-19 criticised Mr Johnson's excessive optimism in the face of the looming pandemic and inability to make key lockdown decisions.
The report concluded that more than 20,000 lives could have been spared and a total lockdown avoided in 2020 if restrictions had been introduced sooner.
Lady Hallet described Dominic Cummings as a "destabilising influence" who used "offensive, sexualised and misogynistic" language and "poisoned" the atmosphere in Downing Street.
The then-health secretary Matt Hancock was also criticised for not being "candid" enough about the UK's ability to deal with the virus.
Here are Lady Hallet’s findings on each of the top figures in the UK government.
Boris Johnson
In the report, Mr Johnson was accused of failing to address a "chaotic culture" at the heart of the British government, in which "the loudest voices prevailed" and women were often "sidelined".
Lady Hallet said Mr Johnson was "actively encouraging" such a culture and let Mr Cummings make decisions that should have been taken by the prime minister.
She said Mr Johnson failed to "exercise proper leadership in rectifying the toxic and chaotic culture adversely affecting decision-making".
The ex-prime minister was also criticised for his handling of the initial Covid outbreak and subsequent lockdowns.
Mr Johnson was optimistic that Covid “would amount to nothing” and as a result, failed to appreciate the need for prime ministerial leadership on Covid.
The report found his attention was on "other priorities", with Covid not even featuring in the top five issues crossing his desk as late as mid-February 2020.
He also did not chair a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee on the issue until March 2020.
By the time the government came to consider a second lockdown in the autumn of 2020, Lady Hallett said Mr Johnson “repeatedly changed his mind” on whether to “introduce tougher restrictions and failed to make timely decisions”.
She said his "oscillation" led to delays imposing restrictions, enabling the virus to continue spreading "at pace" despite by this stage understanding "the importance of early interventions".
Mr Johnson's experience of the initial lockdown, Lady Hallett said, meant he "should have realised that, if there was a possibility that he would have to impose restrictions on the public, it would be beneficial to do so sooner rather than later".
In addition, Covid rule-breaking such as “partygate” which saw gatherings and parties take place at No10 throughout 2020, caused “huge distress” to the public. And in particular, to the bereaved people who had complied with the rules and guidance despite massive personal and financial costs, the report found.
The Downing Street party saga in particular led to a “self-reported” reduction in people following the rules over Christmas 2021.
Dominic Cummings
The chief adviser to Mr Johnson until November 2020, was found to “contributed to the toxic and sexist workplace culture at the heart of the UK government", according to Lady Hallett.
Mr Cummings was accused of using "offensive, sexualised and misogynistic language" and launching a "misogynistic attack" on a senior civil servant.
Although Lady Hallett acknowledged Mr Cummings's "ability" and commended his action in persuading the government to change course in early 2020, she said he had created a "culture of fear, mutual suspicion and distrust" that "poisoned the atmosphere" in No 10.
She added he had "strayed far from the proper role of a special adviser" and "sought to make key decisions" that the prime minister should have made, and had likely broken the rules governing special advisers by levering out then-cabinet secretary Sir Mark (now Lord) Sedwill.
Matt Hancock
The then-health secretary led the initial response to Covid, assuring fellow ministers that the UK was well-prepared for a pandemic.
But Lady Hallett said he gained a reputation among his colleagues for "overpromising and underdelivering".
Accusing Mr Hancock of not being sufficiently "candid", she said his assurances about the country's preparedness and his department's effective handling of the crisis were "unjustified".
Lady Hallett also criticised Sir Chris Wormald, who was then permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care and who is now the cabinet secretary.
She said he had failed to take action to "rectify the overenthusiastic impression" given by Mr Hancock, ultimately obscuring the need for more action.
Their actions between them “obscured the reality and the need for more action” through spring 2020.
Rishi Sunak
The then-chancellor was criticised for not seeking scientific advice on the "eat out to help out" scheme.
Lady Hallett said the scheme in summer 2020, which offered discounted restaurant meals to try and inject cash into the struggling hospitality industry, was “devised in the absence of scientific advice” and “undermined public health messaging”.
This is despite Professor Chris Whitty advising about the risks of indoor settings.
Devolved leaders
Baroness Hallett found the country's devolved leaders were too reliant on the UK government and acted “too little too late”.
But she praised Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon as "a serious and diligent leader" and Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford as "careful and considered", although she criticised his decision to attend a St David's Day event in Brussels rather than a Welsh cabinet meeting in March 2020.
Lady Hallett was more critical of the response in Northern Ireland, where she said decision-making was "marred" by disputes between the DUP and Sinn Féin.
And she both criticised then-deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill for attending the funeral of senior republican and former IRA man Bobby Storey in June 2020, and then-first minister Baroness Arlene Foster for engaging in "inappropriate instigation of cross-community votes to make political points".
