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Former cabinet minister Lord Michael Gove has issued an apology on behalf of the government and the Conservative Party for the errors made during the coronavirus pandemic. The apology comes as part of the response to the recently published report by Baroness Hallett, which sharply criticizes the government’s management of the crisis. The report describes the atmosphere in Downing Street during the pandemic as “toxic and chaotic,” with Prime Minister Boris Johnson overseeing this troubled environment.
Speaking on BBC’s Today programme, Lord Gove acknowledged that certain “attitudes” within Downing Street were “far from ideal.” However, he defended the government’s approach by arguing that during a crisis, “the business of government can’t be carried out in the manner of a Jane Austen novel.” Gove also reflected on the timing of lockdown measures, admitting that imposing restrictions earlier would have been “wiser,” though he questioned the report’s claim that an earlier lockdown definitively would have reduced deaths.
In his response to the report, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer emphasized that the government would learn valuable lessons from the inquiry and is already taking steps to ensure preparedness for future emergencies. The 800-page report criticizes government decision-making extensively, suggesting that introducing a Covid lockdown just one week sooner might have saved approximately 23,000 lives during the first wave in England. It stops short of claiming that this would have lowered the overall death toll. The inquiry further argues that earlier interventions such as social distancing could have averted the need for lockdowns altogether. It places significant blame on the four UK administrations for their collective actions and inactions, stating that lockdowns became unavoidable due to these failings.
According to the report, February 2020 was a “lost month” marked by a regrettable lack of urgency. It also highlights failures to act on lessons from the first wave, with autumn 2020 restrictions introduced too slowly and government action over Christmas delayed until infection rates had become critical. Johnson, who served as prime minister from 2019 to 2022 and commissioned the inquiry, is criticized for sluggish decision-making and indecision during autumn 2020. When questioned about the report’s impact on Johnson’s political future, Lord Gove rejected the idea that it would destroy his ambitions, noting that while Johnson’s leadership “may not be to everyone’s taste,” he was dealing with a complex balance between limiting liberty and maintaining healthcare access. Gove also praised Johnson’s vaccine rollout, saying it was his drive that helped the UK become the first country to administer Covid vaccines.
The report also targets Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s former senior aide, accusing him of “destabilising behaviour” and contributing to a “culture of fear” that damaged the workplace atmosphere. It links him to fostering a “toxic and sexist” culture but acknowledges his role in pushing for early strategic meetings and virus modelling. Cummings, who left Downing Street at the end of 2020, criticized the inquiry on social media, claiming it distorts history and noting that many of the senior scientists were wrong about key issues during the early months of 2020.
Lord Gove defended Cummings’ contribution, noting his responsibility for ensuring data was thoroughly examined and highlighting that the report recognized Cummings’ interventions as “critical” to establishing necessary virus suppression measures. Reflecting on the challenging culture in Downing Street during the pandemic, Gove remarked that global pressure and imperfect information meant that “mistakes are made, voices are raised.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak also weighed in, telling BBC 5 Live that both the government and scientific community operated amid significant uncertainty. He stressed the importance of learning lessons to improve readiness for any future pandemics. Separately, Baroness Hallett criticized Sir Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary during the pandemic, for failing to correct the overly optimistic messaging given by then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock regarding the department’s capability. When asked if Wormald should remain in his role despite these criticisms, Science Secretary Liz Kendall affirmed that he should, praising his ongoing “excellent work” and efforts to apply the lessons of the pandemic across government
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