TORY MSPs have remained silent following the revelation Rishi Sunak thought the UK Government should "just let people die" instead of going into lockdown during the Covid pandemic.
A diary entry from the Government's former chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, revealed the then-chancellor and his boss Boris Johnson had been resisting closing the economy.
It showed Johnson's chief adviser Dominic Cummings thought Sunak was comfortable with keeping the economy open, even if it led to further fatalities.
Detailing how ministers were disagreeing with advisers, Vallace wrote about "a complete lack of leadership" from Johnson, with Cummings advocating for a lockdown.
In the extract, shown to the official COVID inquiry on Monday, Vallance said Johnson had argued against any lockdown, saying he was for "letting it all rip" and that those who would die from contracting the virus had "had a good innings".
Vallance also wrote: "DC [Dominic Cummings] says 'Rishi thinks just let people die and that's OK."
Since the remarks were revealed, Tory MSPs have not any comments or statements on social media nor to the press, though the party has been contacted for comment by The National.
Earlier in the hearing, Vallance also revealed the Government's scientific and medical advisers were not told about Sunak's "Eat Out To Help Out" scheme until it was announced by the then chancellor, saying their advice about the increased risk of transmission would have been "very clear".
Written evidence from Sunak to the inquiry said: "I don't recall any concerns about [the scheme] being expressed during ministerial discussions, including those attended by [Sir Patrick]."
But Vallance said: "Around that time lots of measures were being released and you will see repeated references in various minutes and notes and emails and indeed, I am sure, in my private notes, to our concern that people were piling on more and more things and this would come to drive R above one and I think that was discussed at cabinet as well.
"So I think it would have been very obvious to anyone that this was likely to cause, well, inevitably would cause an increase in transmission risk and I think that would have been known by ministers."
Vallance's diaries also showed how he thought scientific advisers were kept out of strategy meetings by both Number 10 and the Cabinet Office.
The adviser told the inquiry there were "periods when it was clear that the unwelcome advice we were giving was, as expected, not loved and that meant we had to work doubly hard that the science evidence and advice was being properly heard".
Vallance also said "pressure" was sometimes put on advisers to change advice, referencing a WhatsApp exchange with the then health secretary Matt Hancock.
"[Mr Hancock] asked me to change something and I said no, we are not going to change our advice, because that is where the evidence bit comes in," said Vallance.
"You have got to at least see that even if you disagree with it and don't want to do it."
He added: "I am absolutely sure, because politicians are politicians, that there were attempts to manage us and make sure we were not always given the access we might need."
