A pandemic-era chief scientist whose diary entries contained revelations that Boris Johnson described coronavirus as “nature’s way of dealing with old people” is set to appear before the UK’s public inquiry.
Sir Patrick Vallance is expected to give evidence on Monday followed by England’s chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty and his former deputy, Sir Jonathan Van-Tam later in the week.
Extracts from Sir Patrick’s diary during his time in office have already been the subject of much of the inquiry’s examination of other key figures, including ex-Downing Street director of communications Lee Cain and former cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill.
One entry recorded that the former PM had referred to the Treasury as the “pro-death squad” when he wanted the ministry to back him in arguing for a path to eased restrictions.
Another contained an allegation that Mr Johnson had suggested he believed the pandemic was “nature’s way of dealing with old people” as he resisted lockdowns.
Sir Patrick, who served as the Government’s chief scientific adviser from 2018 to 2023, also wrote about his own frustrations in dealing with the then-prime minister.
“(Mr Johnson is) obsessed with older people accepting their fate and letting the young get on with life and the economy going,” he said.
“Quite bonkers set of exchanges,” he wrote, referring to a WhatsApp group including the former PM.
Sir Patrick said that he and Sir Chris felt Number 10 officials were trying to “strong-arm” them into appearing by Mr Johnson’s side at a Downing Street press conference following the then-PM’s ex-chief adviser Dominic Cummings’ press conference on his lockdown trip to Barnard Castle.
The journey was clearly against the rules and Mr Cummings’ televised appearance before the media was a “car crash”, the former chief scientist said in an entry in May 2020.
Sir Patrick has objected to the publication of his pandemic-era diary in full, describing the notes as a “brain dump” written “at the end of immensely stressful days to protect his mental health”.
Chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett has said it would be “premature” to make a decision on whether the entries should be disclosed in their entirety.
But further extracts could be put before the inquiry as he answers questions from lawyers about his time in office during the Government’s response to the virus next week.
His evidence will be followed by Sir Chris on Tuesday and Sir Jonathan next Wednesday, according to a timetable published by the inquiry on Thursday.
Dame Angela McLean will also appear next Wednesday, while Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Dame Jenny Harries, a former deputy chief medical officer for England are expected next Thursday.
